Last of An Ancient Breed: A Side Story to The Last Spartan
by Zgamer
Summary: A side story to DinoJake's "The Last Spartan" fanfiction following Kyle Nolan, a 2nd Lieutenant in the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Events from Kyle's service in the ODST and beyond, from Shanxi to intersecting events with the source story's current timeline, will be recorded as he faces his enemies as much as his own personal demons. Update: 8/6/2013 Format fixed
1. Remember Shanxi (Part 1)

**Let me get this out of the way. No, I am not DinoJake using an alternate name. I am just an admiring fan who wanted to lend his talents to ****The Last Spartan ****and got DinoJake's approval. **

**First off, a huge thanks to DinoJake for all the hard work he has put into ****The Last Spartan****, ****DigiDorks**** and his other stories. If you are not reading any of these, check them out!**

**I am also very humbled to be a part of this. I have not written a fanfiction before, so this will be a fun little experiment. Instead of focusing on Master Chief and the gang, this story will follow an OC in the same universe. It serves as a prequel in several ways, notably to cover a bit of Mass Effect history through a Halo twist. How far the story will go past this initial section is all up to how well it is received and what DinoJake wishes to do with it.**

**So with all of that said, we now bring you the story of 2****nd**** Lieutenant Kyle Nolan, the last of an ancient breed…**

….

1434 Hours, December 15th, 2682.

Chroa's Den

Citadel

Widow System, Serpent Nebula

….

"Eight fives."

The two privates across the table were surprised by this call. 2nd Lieutenant Kyle Nolan knew he had baited them. It was just a matter of waiting. Private Taylor Jenson glanced to Private Devon Resolme and then to Kyle. Kyle smiled. He just pretended Jenson was admiring Kyle's green eyes, slightly grown out red hair, neatly trimmed beard and overall fit physique. And why wouldn't anyone?

"You're kidding?"

"Call me a liar."

"You're making a pretty big gamble, sir."

"I know."

Both of the men checked under their turned over dice cups. Kyle did the same, more for show than to rethink his strategy. The constant, low pulsing club music picked up its tempo. Kyle smirked. He just needed to let them take the bait. Resolme glanced up to Kyle, not lowering his cup. "What kind of game are you playing, sir?"

"Same one you are. Or did you forget what we've been doing for the last hour?" Kyle answered smugly as he lowered his cup.

"You have a lot of money in the pot. Shouldn't you save that for retirement?"

"Oooh…Insults, private? Tsk tsk. I think you're getting nervous."

Resolme held back a twitch of frustration. "We just barely rolled."

"I know."

"And you want to risk a call like that right off the start?"

"Go big or go home. You should know that." Kyle leaned back in his chair and scanned the room. The flashing lights of Chora's Den danced across his eyes. He didn't frequent clubs that often, but they did not get shore leave on the Citadel often either. He brought his attention back to the game. "I mean, I've already won a few rounds. My luck could be wearing off. This would be the right time to swoop in and snatch the pot."

Resolme remained skeptical. "You're trying to pull a fast one?"

"Nope. This is an honest to God call."

"There's no way that call is right."

"Then call me a liar."

Kyle heard murmuring around the table. Since the first game, a small group had accumulated around them. It was initially just a few other humans, but a Batarian, a couple of Asari, a Sanghelli and two Unggoy had joined in since then. Most of them had probably never seen this game played before.

The two privates anxiously inspected the pot. There were a lot of credits there. Kyle knew he made the right move going all in.

"You're going to be very broke if you're wrong, sir," Jenson commented.

Kyle shrugged. "Eh. Who needs to eat? I'm sure I can last until the next payday."

Jenson stared down Kyle, trying to get a read on him. Kyle stayed in his position with a cold poker face. Jenkin's gaze was so heavy on Kyle they could have been floodlights. Kyle figured he could lead Jenson on a little. He gave a twitch to the side of his mouth and darted his eyes around. Jenson smiled. Kyle did too…on the inside.

"You seem a little too confident, sir."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, with the jokes, the attitude and that look. What, you think you're some kind of Elcor with that poker face?"

Kyle kept it going. He let his eyes shift around some more and shrugged. "W-what poker face?"

Jenson leaned forward a bit. His hand glided onto his dice cup. Resolme followed suit, seemingly optimistic from Jenkin's confidence. Kyle sat up in his chair, hand on top of his own cup. Moment of truth!

"You're a pretty bold man, sir," Jenson said confidently.

"I know."

"And you're also a liar!"

They all quickly lifted their dice cups. The privates scanned all of the dice, trying to count the face totals. Kyle could see from their expressions and quick eye movements they were convinced they were right. They weren't thinking clearly. A lot of credits can do that to people.

Resolme had two threes, two fives and a four. Jenson had three threes, one five and a two. Kyle had four fives and a one. Resolme beamed. "Ha! I knew it!"

Jenson reached to collect the pot. "Sorry sir. Close but no ci-"

"Uh uh," Kyle chimed in wagging a finger. "We agreed to Common Hand rules, remember?" The other two soldiers paused, confused by this fact. Kyle pointed his finger down at the one die in his pile. "This is wild."The privates' expressions sunk. Game and set! Kyle collected the credits. "Thank you!"

The patrons around the table chattered with amazement. Resolme groaned. "God!"

"Oh come on," Kyle chuckled. "You barely put in anything. It's not the end of the world. Besides, you're the one who wanted to play this game."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would actually know how to play Liar's Dice."

"Well that's what you get for playing a game you've only seen on an old action vid."

Jenson was even more upset. "Bullshit! You cheated!"

"Oh suck it up! It's life. Win some, lose some. You're welcome to rematch me later if you want. Right now though, I suggest you enjoy the rest of your shore leave."

As the crowd dispersed, Jenson motioned Resolme to the bar to refill their drinks. The Sanghelli and an Asari sat down at the now unoccupied chairs as Kyle collected the game.

"An impressive bluff, human," The Sanghelli commented.

"Indeed, Sanghelli."

"Are you sure your men won't resent you for this?"

"They're ODST; toughest soldiers in the Alliance military. They should be used to getting burned by now."

"How did you know to make that call?" The Asari asked as Kyle closed up the Liar's Dice set. "That was a lot of credits to risk."

Kyle smiled at the Asari. "Ever heard the legend of the Spartans? During the Human-Covenant War, people told stories about all the crazy acts of heroism they performed. One of my favorites was of a single Spartan taking on three Covenant squads with a half-emptied pistol. Those guys weren't afraid to make risky moves. A lot of people would say it was because they were superheroes amongst mortals. Some would say they were just better trained than any 'normal' soldier."

Kyle sat up. "In the end though, they succeeded the same way anyone does." He started to leave with a relieved sigh. "They were just really damn lucky…"

…

Classified Date, 2657

_SSV Harvest_

In Orbit Around Planet Shanxi

…

"WE GO FEET FIRST, SIR!"

"Damn right we do!" 1st Lieutenant Dominic Ralston, a grizzled older soldier, barked in reply to the squad's response. This was a routine ODST squads always went through before a combat drop. It had only been a few minutes since the _Harvest_ exited slipspace with the rest of the first wave. The squad each laid armed and ready in their individual drop pods.

Pvt. Kyle Nolan, a young and green soldier, let out a slow, calming sigh as he tried to contain his nervous enthusiasm. He had only been attached to Bravo squad for a few weeks now. He had always wondered what his first combat mission would be like, but he never expected it would be fighting an unknown alien race. The lieutenant slowly strolled down the corridor, speaking loud for everyone to hear him.

"Listen up, grunts!" Ralston barked again, "Admiral Drescher and the rest of the fleet are arriving shortly to tear these 'Raptors' a new asshole." Several soldiers gave small cheers and 'ooh-rahs.'

'Raptors' was the nickname the ODST used for these new aliens. It was one of those traditions from the Human-Covenant War they had been dying to bring back. These aliens weren't friends with the Alliance, so there was no need to be politically correct like with the Unggoy. Now if only all of the ODST could all agree to this as the definitive nickname, since many soldiers had made up their own based on the vids they saw.

"However, we got wind from ONI that the Raptors have anti-air batteries surrounding the planned landing areas. Now I don't think we want to see our birds shot down before our boys have a chance to show those spiky headed freaks that messing with humanity was the biggest mistake of their soon to be tragically short lives!"

"OOH-RAH!"

"That's why Command needs us tough sons-o-bitches to shut down those batteries to make their landing nice and cozy." Ralston pointed off to the distance. "Our friends from the Sanghelli Empire were gracious enough to provide back up, but this will not be their victory. This is a human planet and a human colony, so it is going to be human soldiers who send these bastards to Hell!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

The lieutenant's words were riling Kyle up. He remembered when he first heard about the occupation of Shanxi. The Raptors had bombarded General William's forces for days until he surrendered. Where he or his remaining forces were being held now, God only knows. Well, maybe ONI does too. Now the Raptors occupied Shanxi and, if rumors were to be trusted, were using it as a staging planet to follow the Mass Relays back to Earth.

Not on their watch! The Alliance had spent a lot of time and effort rallying the former Covenant races and other human leaders to launch this counter-offensive. Now things were going into motion and phase one of Operation: SUCKER PUNCH would be the deciding factor in retaking Shanxi. Everyone was hoping this would not be a repeat of the Harvest campaign, as a swift victory would be a good morale booster should the Raptors come back in force like the Covenant did.

"Our ships are preparing to engage the enemy cruisers when Drescher arrives. You will be dropped in the positions specified in debriefing to eliminate the batteries and any unfortunate skull faced bastard who crosses your path! The rest of the squad will be dropped to take on the bulk of the defending soldiers. Once the all clear is given, our boys can begin to assault proper."

"Over the target in T-minus thirty seconds," the ship's AI signaled over the intercom.

"Prepare to drop!" Kyle put on his helmet as the drop pod hatches closed. His heart was racing. He had only done one proper practice drop prior to this and it was a hell of a ride. Now he was going to help liberate a planet. He removed the ODST Hurricane Mark II sub-machine gun from the drop pod's side and moved to drop position.

One of his hands skimmed over an old fashioned M6D pistol in his side holster. He remembered his grandfather giving it when Kyle joined the ODST. Kyle was carrying the family tradition his grandfather started serving in the Human-Covenant War years ago. The pistol was not as advanced as the standard issue guns the ODST now carried, but Kyle wanted it with him for this. If he was going to make history fighting the Raptors, his grandfather was going to be with him in some form.

Ralston's voice crackled over the TEAMCOM. "This is our time, men. This is our time to show that Humanity is not to be trifled with. They took something from us and now we're taking it back. Give them hell the ODST way!"

"Five seconds," the AI chimed in. Kyle took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His heart was pounding. It was the anticipation that was killing him more than anything. The fighting would be a different beast to tackle. Regardless, it was happening.

"Good luck," Ralston said right as Kyle's drop pod descended through the _Harvest _and plummeted to Shanxi...

…

Kyle wandered about the Presidium Commons. The vibe was incredibly calming for even the tensest individual. The smooth architecture, white color scheme and soft music playing were captivating to say in the least. He never wanted to live there, but it was a nice place to get away to on rare occasions. Kyle put his gloved hands into the pockets of his Alliance uniform as he passed by other civilians and soldiers.

Kyle's mind swam with memories from his military career. The victories, the defeats, the people above him, the people he commanded, etc. Twenty years serving in the ODST leave one with a lot of memories. He had worked hard to get to this position. It wasn't easy, with some obvious limitations giving some people pause over his capabilities. Yet he never faltered in a responsibility. He may intimidate the new soldiers as a higher ranked soldier, but he never bragged about his position. Telling people your rank is for military meetings and obligatory formal events.

There were none of those today. It was shore leave and it was December by Earth's calendar. He approached one of the stores in the marketplace with a smile. The money he just won was going to be put to good use.

He stood behind a Krogan currently being helped. The Krogan was jabbering on about some refund, so he figured it would be a while. Kyle looked around to see the sights. So many different races were around him. Humans, Sanghelli, Unggoy, Asari, Elcor and everyone in-between were out and about. It had taken a while for Kyle to get used to so many different types of aliens. Hell, it had taken the ODST a long time to drop the nicknames they invented during and after the First Contact War. He had to put a smile on though. Alliance soldiers needed to be shining examples to the other races.

Kyle pulled a small list out of his pocket. He skimmed the list to see if he could get everything he needed. There were quite a few items! A copy of the new Keyes family biography by Jonathan Nylund, an Omni-tool upgrade pack, a model replica of the _Pillar of Autumn_, a subscription to Citadel Home Design, a download pass for the award winning Rain Forest Wars documentary vids. a black…

"*Breath* Excuse me, Earth-Clan." Kyle turned to see that the Krogan had left. A Volus waited for him at the counter. Kyle walked to the counter. "*Breath* Welcome to Sirta. How can I help?"

"Yeah, um, I was wondering if you had these items on the top of this list," Kyle said handing the list to the Volus. "I'd like to get them gift wrapped for delivery."

"*Breath* We should have most of these. I need to check the database for this particular model though."

The Volus pulled out a data pad and began scrolling through information. Kyle leaned against the counter and tapped his fingers on it as he waited.

"*Breath* I figure it's safe to assume you are sending these to Earth?" The Volus commented as he searched.

"That obvious?"

"*Breath* You're not the first Earth-Clan doing holiday shopping today. *Breath* What is so special about this time in Earth's calendar?"

"It's a long story. Check out some Earth vids about Christmas and you'll figure it out."

The Volus nodded and lowered the data pad. "*Breath* I'm afraid we are sold out of that particular model."

"Are you sure?" Crap! Kyle didn't want to spend too long trying to find one gift, let alone all of them. He only had so much time as it was.

"*Breath* Sold the last one this morning I'm afraid." The Volus pointed to a store nearby. "*Breath* The store over there may be carrying it."

Kyle turned to the store the Volus pointed to. It was a larger store with a line of individuals out front. At the front of a line, a Kig-Yar was doing business with a Turian store clerk. Kyle frowned and turned to the Volus. "Are there any other stores that may have it?"

"*Breath* Not to my knowledge. That model seems to be a popular gift for Earth-clan customers. *****Breath* You'll find the best prices at that store regardless."

Kyle looked back to the store. His gaze narrowed at the Turian. The Turian was getting into an argument with the Kig-Yar. Typical. He was probably a jerk. Kyle turned back to the Volus. "Just ring me up for the other items."

The Volus tapped away at the data pad as Kyle switched on his omni-tool. He could probably find another store selling the model that wasn't ran by a Raptor…

…

Kyle's drop pod rumbled as it pierced Shanxi's atmosphere. Light flooded into the window, causing him to shield his eyes. Dawn was breaking across the surface of the planet, engulfing the atmosphere in a flash of orange, yellow and red. It was quite a sight to see; light piercing the darkness and bringing a brand new day to the planet. It was some poet or painter's wet dream to be in Kyle's position right now.

Kyle saw other drop pods falling alongside him. He noticed several were Sanghelli Empire drop pods. This was the first big cooperative offenses the Alliance had done with the Sanghelli Empire. It was hard to believe that not too long ago, these races were at each other's throats. Now they were fighting side by side against a common enemy.

"All units report in," a voice cracked over TEAMCOM. It was Captain Jessica Turner, Bravo squad's leader. Kyle winked green on his TEAMCOM.

"Good," Capt.. Turner replied, "We'll be landing shortly."

"Is this going to be another bug hunt, ma'am?" Corporal Kevin Shinjiro joked over TEAMCOM.

"Don't quote that old shit with me, corporal. You're just lucky you're a VIP here."

She was right. Cpl. Kevin Shinjiro was assigned by the squad to be tasked with shutting down the batteries. So on top of that main objective, objective two was to keep the corporal alive. Some would call it babysitting, but at least the corporal could hold his own in a fight.

"Well I'm not going to let that stop me from shooting up a bunch of them Boneheads," Cpl. Shinjiro zipped back at Capt. Turner.

"Boneheads?"

"Yeah. That's what they are, right? Got all of that bone like material over their heads and-"

THUMP!

Kyle's pod shook. The deceleration part of the drop had started. Kyle gripped his Hurricane with both hands. Outside, he could hear the sounds of the other pods preparing for landing too, hence the silence over the TEAMCOM. He also heard something unsettling: the sound of the enemy firing back up at the pods.

Rounds bounced off Kyle's pod with sharp pings. The pods were built to withstand smaller rounds, but it would be worse if…

KABOOM!

The pod next to him exploded as a missile slammed into it, sending the remainder of the pod spiraling to the ground. Kyle panicked inside.

"We're coming in hot!" Capt.. Turner barked over TEAMCOM.

"That's the only way an ODST should come in!" Another soldier replied.

"Shut up, Harrelson! We're about to hit groundside!"

Other missiles fired past the pods. Kyle peered down. The area below was a lush grass field with a hill leading to a large bunker at the top. Large rocks, barricades erected by the Raptors and other miscellaneous objects were scattered about, which would incidentally be providing all of them cover in the attack. Kyle closed his eyes and prayed silently. All he wanted was to hit the ground as soon as possible.

"Brace for impact!"

BOOM!

Kyle's pod violently shook and stopped falling. Kyle opened his eyes to see two Raptors sprawled on the ground, knocked over from the landing' impact. It was one thing seeing the Raptors on vids, but it was another to see them in person. Those spikes on the top of their heads. The bone like material that covered their faces and bodies. Those creepy bird like mouth. Kyle thought the Kig-Yar were hard to look at.

Kyle heard the pod hiss. He lifted his gun and his visor ionized, displaying all of his vitals and necessary battlefield information. Kyle held his breath.

Showtime!

The hatch exploded off the pod. Rounds sprayed from Kyle's Hurricane as he charged out, cutting down the two Raptors outside. Kyle turned towards the hill, only to be greeted by incoming fire. He took cover behind a large rock nearby as several more Raptors arrived and retaliated.

Kyle waited for a lull before popping out and returning fire. Lower elevation was not working to his benefit. Kyle's shield shimmered as they took a couple hits. He retreated back behind the rock, waiting for his shields to recharge.

Then Kyle heard a small sound and turned to see a grenade land right near his cover. Time to move! Kyle bolted from the rock, hosing rounds up the hill for covering fire. He dived behind a barricade as the grenade detonated, taking his shields down further. Kyle pulled his legs away as rounds narrowly missed them.

"Bravo squad, this is Bravo Seven!" Kyle shouted through TEAMCOM. "I'm pinned by enemy fire! Requesting assistance!"

"This is Bravo Three, requesting sup-" "Raptors moving in from the si-" "-oger that. Moving into position-" "Damn it, we're taking fi-" Everyone was trying to talk at once. Kyle sighed, gripped his gun and stood to push forward …

VOIP! A beam of energy shot from across the way and took off one of the enemies' head. A flurry of Plasma Rifle fire then rained upon the rest. Two more Raptors were cut down as the others retreated. Kyle spotted three Sanghelli soldiers moving forward, supported by a half dozen Unggoy with Plasma Pistols and Needlers. A trio of Kig-Yar provided suppressing fire with Beam Rifles from behind.

A hand grabbed onto Kyle's shoulder. Kyle jumped and turned, only to see the visor of another ODST soldier. Kyle's TEAMCOM tagged the soldier as Sergeant Terrence Morgan. "Move your ass, Nolan!" Sgt. Morgan shouted as he charged forward.

Kyle followed close behind. ODST, Sanghelli, Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Mgalekgolo ran, cover hopped and advanced up the hill as one large wave. Kyle didn't know if the Raptors had fully learned to fear humans yet, but they learned to fear the Mgalekgolo quickly. Fuel rod rounds tore up the hill as the lumbering giants charged forward. Two Raptors flew into the air as an Mgalekgolo slammed its shield into them. Its bond brother turned and blasted a nearby enemy armored vehicle. They were a awesomely terrifying sight!

A large object crashed from orbit into the ground nearby them. It's outer shielding collapsed, revealing a custom ODST Mantis walker. The pilot was hooting and hollering as he turned the Mantis and began unloading onto the Raptors. And yet the Raptors kept fighting back, stubbornly defending every last inch of dirt.

Over the TEAMCOM, Capt. Turner chimed in. "Bravo squad, confirm your status and proceed to objective!" Kyle winked green on his TEAMCOM. He only hoped most of the squad also did.

The fighting continued for what felt like forever. One ODST soldier to Kyle's right took a sniper shot to the face and rolled onto the ground dead. Two more dragged a wounded Sanghelli behind a nearby barricade as they dodged incoming fire. An explosion took out a couple of Unggoy up ahead. A group of Kig-Yar surrounded each other with their shields Roman style to deflect enemy fire. Every weapon type possible zoomed across the hill, tearing up grass and throwing dirt into the air. A team of Sanghelli Zealots charged non-stop up the hill, damned whatever came at them. The Mgalekgolo and Mantis continued to take the brunt of the attack. From the opposite side of the hill, the fighting sounded even more intense as the rest of the force took on the bulk of the Raptors.

Kyle pushed past every dodged shot, every step on Shanxi soil and every fallen soldier. Keep pushing, Kyle thought to himself. They were almost there…

…

"That'll be a thousand credits."

Kyle slipped out from his memories and returned to reality. An Unggoy store clerk on the other side of the counter waited expectantly.

"Huh? Oh right, sorry," Kyle apologized as he tapped at his Omni-tool. Kyle had searched all over the Extranet to find a store that sold the _Pillar of Autumn_ model. After fiddling for half an hour, he had found an advert for one in the lower wards that had a few models left. The Unggoy clerk tapped away at a computer console.

"All righty, credits all received and gift is wrapped tight," the Unggoy chirped excitedly.

"Thanks," Kyle replied. "Hey, um, can you add a personalized note before you ship?"

"Righty oh," the Unggoy replied. "What you have me put on it?"

"Just write, 'Merry Christmas Sandy. Love, Uncle Kyle.'"

"Awwww," the Unggoy replied semi-teasingly. "Big tough human's a softie."

Kyle smirked lightly. It wasn't particularly funny, but better to just go with it to get this all done and return to the ship. "Well, Humans can get particularly soft this time of year. I don't know if you Unggoy have any holidays like that."

"Oh yes, but usually we give different kinds of gifts. Most of it usually edible. It's pretty cool…"

"I'm sure it is. Thanks again." Kyle closed his omni-tool and left.

"All righty, tell your friends about Dip-Dup's Pawn and Repair! Low prices, high satisfaction!" The Unggoy's voice echoed as Kyle rounded a corner. Kyle wasn't that fond of the lower wards, but it suited his needs now and again. People were more down to earth here than at the Presidium. There was less talk about trivial manners like politics and more people just living their lives. If C-Sec were able to temper the crime, Kyle would come more often. Still wasn't enough to live there though.

Kyle passed by other residents and shoppers as they ascended a staircase to the nearest lift. Advertisements, neon signs and video screens lined the halls blaring mostly nonsense. He sighed, not particularly eager to ride up that slow glass elevator. Why couldn't the Keepers make improving those things a priority?

Apparently, today they did. A large crowd of people were bickering and complaining around the lift as two C-Sec officers blocked the entrance. Digital yellow tape with the words OUT OF ORDER scrolled across the entrance, while Keepers moved in and out with repair materials. Well…looks like Kyle would take the long way.

He ducked into a nearby back alley. He remembered using it as a short cut to get to C-Sec Headquarters on a previous visit, so he should be able to find a way to another lift. The alley was largely empty, save for random rubbish and a couple of Keepers going about their business. The red lights painted an eerie canvas across the walls. Kyle kept his hands in his pockets. He just wanted to get out of here…

"I said get away!"

Kyle stopped. Sounded like a Quarian, given the accent and the voice's reverberation through its mask. It was probably just some argument. Nothing Kyle should…

"Fisk says you're behind on your payment. And he's not a happy man when people try to cheat an agreement."

A Turian. That caught Kyle's attention. He could recognize that type of voice anywhere. What was this about payments and Fisk? Kyle knew this was none of his business, but something stirred him up about this. He pressed against a wall and peeked around the corner.

Three Turian thugs surrounded a Quarian female in the middle of an open area. One of them was noticeably larger than the others, with distinct face tattoos Kyle hadn't seen before. The one to his left was a rather ugly looking one, with a damaged left mandible and burn marks across his face. The third one behind the Quarian was a smaller one, with a custom designed pistol and dagger around his belt. No one else was around, so the Turians were not afraid to get in the Quarian's face.

"Our agreement's finished," the Quarian defended nervously, "I paid the debt so I don't owe Fisk anything."

"It seems Fisk's accountant says otherwise," the large Turian retorted smugly, "There's still an outstanding sum remaining."

"I gave him the credits yesterday. Check the records," the Quarian said more upset as the smaller Turian from behind stroked his pistol.

This is what Kyle meant when he said crime needed to be taken care of. If C-Sec couldn't stop a gang of Turian punks from harassing people, what good would they be if he lived here? He checked the area. There really was no one around. Not even any cameras from what he could see. The Quarian must have been lured here because of that.

"We did. You still owe Fisk ten thousand credits," the ugly Turian exclaimed.

The Quarian was flustered. "I don't have ten thousand credits! I barely have enough left to eat, you bosh'tets!"

"Such language!" The large Turian mocked at her. "You better change that attitude right away, gas sucker, or I'm not going to be so nice anymore!"

"We don't suck gas, asshole!" The Quarian barked back. "I'm sure you know plenty about sucking though from your boyfriends here! Leave me alone!" She moved to break out from the group but the small Turian grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" She tried to punch him, but he twisted her arm behind her into a hold.

"We're not leaving until you give Fisk what you owe him," the large Turian said as his hand gripped around the Quarian's throat. Kyle's hand became a tight fist. His frustration was boiling.

"I don't owe him shit!" She shouted angrily.

"I think we need to give this street urchin a lesson in manners, boss," the ugly Turian chuckled with a crooked smile.

"I couldn't agree more," the large Turian said with a smile, "but I think she needs to give us her full attention. Take that mask off so she can look me in the eyes." He motioned to the other two to do so.

As the Quarian was about to call for help, Kyle was already on the move. His feet glided across the floor, his eyes not wavering from their target. It's been a while since he kicked some Turian ass. Now he had an excuse.

….

**Codex Entry (Alliance): Orbital Drop Shock Troopers**

_A Special Operations unit of the Alliance Marine Corps, the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers specialize in performing small scale, high-risk combat operations. Though known for their orbital drop pod insertion strikes, ODST forces are trained to engage in other military and paramilitary duties including long-range reconnaissance, sabotage, counter-contraband, counter-terrorism and guerilla warfare operations._

_Previously a fledgling military unit, the ODST grew to fame across the UNSC and Alliance military following successful campaigns in the outer colonies Insurrection, the Human-Covenant War and the First Contact War. Their all-volunteer recruitment, chosen after months of intense screening and training procedures, allows for a unique diversity of combat experience that has served them well in many battles._

_The ODST prides itself with a distinct sense of identity from the rest of the Alliance military. Their armor, weapons and vehicles are custom designed with modifications specifically suited for ODST operations. ODST squads are also known to have an intense sense of camaraderie within their ranks, creating a "clique" mentality that sets them apart from other Alliance military units._

_Though they usually operate under the direct command of the Alliance's Naval Special Warfare Command, ODST combat teams are often seen attached to and rotated amongst Alliance cruisers and military divisions. Aside from their combat expertise, ODST presence is said to be morale booster for the teams they fight alongside._

**...**

**Continue on to Remember Shanxi Part 2 to see how all of this malarkey turns out! For those of you who are unfamiliar with DinoJake's ****The Last Spartan**** story or want a refresher, click on the link below to catch up:**

** s/5939286/1/The-Last-Spartan**


	2. Remember Shanxi (Part 2)

**For the longest time, I had wondered how the ODST fit in the universe of ****The Last Spartan****. We saw glimpses of it through references and certain details, but we never got a full character that was an active part of the unit. So that is what I decided to focus my fanfiction on. I sort of randomly picked a name out of a hat for my character and then wrote a story around what I felt that name depicted. Thus, ****Last of an Ancient Breed**** was born.**

**Enough of my talk! Here is the conclusion to Remember Shanxi.**

…

Classified Date, 2657

Turian Bunker

Surface of Shanxi

…

"_Do you know why we're called Helljumpers, Kyle?"_

"_Everyone knows sir."_

"_Everyone knows, but not everyone comprehends it. Especially not Greenhorns like you. The Alliance likes to romanticize the ODST as a glorious cause. Strong, able-bodied men being flung into Hell to fight impossible odds. Only the best of the best are accepted. It's the most enviable division of the military. Then your first mission comes and you see that what the ODST really is: cannon fodder. A large wave of good soldiers thrown into suicide missions to die for their planet."_

"_You're still alive though."_

"_Because I wasn't just a good soldier. I was the BEST soldier. I was the best of the best. I didn't charge in like a monkey with a gun hoping to take out as many guys as possible before I died. I was smarter than that. I knew the casualty rates. I knew who my enemies were. I knew what the other soldiers in my squad would do. I wasn't going to be just a good soldier. Do you want to be a good soldier?"_

"_Ye…N-no, sir."_

"_Damn right you don't!"_

"…"

"_Look, I'm not trying to ruin your big day. I just want you to know the truth. The ODST is a death wish for ignorant young men. They think they're as strong as Spartans before they can even shoot a gun properly, so they are the ones who die first. Those who survive truly are the best of the best because they earned it. They earned the right to be cocky because they can do what other soldiers can't. They know that they're cannon fodder, but they won't let that stop them…and neither will you. You're smart, you're talented and you ARE the best of the best. Now you have to prove it. Show them you can jump into Hell and bring back Satan's head on a platter. I know you can."_

"_Thank you, sir."_

"_Could you just call me grandpa? I know we're both ODST now, but I'm still family first…"_

BOOM!

Kyle drifted out of his thoughts just in time to dodge a grenade explosion. It felt like his body had been on autopilot as he relived that memory. He hadn't intended to suddenly slip into that in the middle of the battlefield. He just did.

His grandfather had always been a hard man to read. He was a veteran of the Human-Covenant war, which everyone in the family knew because he always found a way to remind them. He was a tough man who was not afraid to call out your crap. Yet he was also a very caring person and a good inspiration to many.

Paradoxically, his grandfather cited the war as what brought about that softer side. He remembered those final, desperate hours fighting against the Jiralhanae and how during a particular battle, he suddenly had an epiphany on the value of life. He decided that when the war ended, he wouldn't let himself be hardened like everyone expected him to. He wanted to be a better example and hoped his children would follow that should they ever experience such horrors.

That wouldn't happen to Kyle right now though. He followed everyone up the hill as they reached the bunker housing the anti-air batteries. It had been a hard fought charge. The Raptors were better prepared than expected. Not to the extent the Alliance had feared, but more than they had hoped. They had lost quite a few men just trying to get up the hill. Kyle tried not to look back to see who they were.

"Raptors to the right!" Sgt. Morgan shouted over TEAMCOM. An enemy squad advanced on them with guns blazing. Kyle's squad laid down suppressing fire as they continued ahead. His shields shimmered, but he kept the pressure on. The squad took cover, trying to find a way to flank the Raptors.

Kyle waited for his gun to cool down. He peaked out the corner of his visor and spotted a lone Raptor aiming a sniper rifle at Cpl. Shinjiro. Kyle poked out of cover to attack…

A sickening, burning sound was heard as two blue plasma prods stuck through the Raptor's chest. They lifted him in the air and flung him into a nearby wall. A crackle of energy unveiled a cloaked Sanghelli zealot. Two more zealots uncloaked and sliced into the enemy squad. Severed heads and limbs fell to the ground, staining the grass and dirt with their blood. As the fighting moved away from the humans, one of the zealots approached the squad.

"My brothers will handle the aggressors," the Zealot barked, "Let us proceed!"

Kyle advanced into the bunker behind Capt. Turner, Sgt. Morgan and Cpl. Shinjiro. The sounds of gunfire, explosions and plasma shots deafened as more wall surrounded the squad. The design of the building was much more elegant and streamlined than Alliance architecture. Fewer jagged edges and more smooth surfaces. Perhaps not as sturdy as Alliance designs, but definitely more efficient. It reminded Kyle of Sanghelli cruiser design. The place was unusually quiet, but the group took no risks. Capt. Turner approved their advances as they gave the all clear one room at a time. Kyle couldn't help but be concerned. Could they really have drawn all of the Raptors out of the complex?

At some point the squad reached the main control panel. The place was massive, with multiple hallways leading in and out of the area. Large generators and computers hummed silently, connecting to the base of the batteries attached to the roof. Capt. Turner motioned the necessary orders. Kyle and Sgt. Morgan kept a watch on the way they came in. The Zealot watched the nearby hallways with his energy sword at the ready.

Cpl. Shinjiro approached the main panel and began hacking away. This wouldn't be an easy task. ONI's AI programs had been working at cracking enemy software since their initial cyber warfare encounters with Raptor technicians, but this was still unknown alien technology. And the Alliance needed hands-on experience from soldiers in the field so they can get used to this new technology. It was intimidating yet exciting at the same time.

"Shinjiro, sitrep!" Capt. Turner barked.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, captain," Cpl. Shinjiro retorted, "This is some high grade shit here and I doubt it's even their best stuff. We still don't know a lot about the Boneheads'…"

"Less talking and more hacking," Sgt. Morgan piped in. Cpl. Shinjiro continued quietly, grumbling something under his breath.

Kyle turned to Sgt. Morgan. "Sir, how come we're not just blowing this stuff to kingdom come?"

"Forward thinking, Private," Sgt. Morgan replied, "ONI and Alliance research will want to learn as much as we can about this technology if we're going to keep fighting these spike heads."

"You really think this will be that long a fight?"

"This race does not seem the kind to relinquish after one skirmish," the Zealot chimed in, "They will surely retaliate with greater numbers."

"So imagine their surprise when they see their own anti-air batteries firing back at them," Sgt. Morgan added. "We're going to be ready, one way or another. It's the ODST way!"

"Ooh-rah," Cpl. Shinjiro replied subconsciously. Saying rousing stuff about the ODST usually elicits that response.

"Can't they just use their AI's to re-program the turrets and combat our hacks once they get back here?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Well, we don't know how advanced their AI programs are yet," Capt. Turner chimed in. "Don't worry, private. The Alliance has thought a lot of this through. They know how to handle these situations."

"Well they didn't figure that trying to activate a mass relay would result in a war."

Kyle's comment kept everyone quiet for a bit. After a couple minutes, Cpl. Shinjiro closed down the control panel and cracked his knuckles. "Done and done. And I have a fail-safe lock on the panel in case they try to turn it back on."

"And if that doesn't work?" Capt. Turner asked.

"We kick as much ass as possible to prevent them from getting here."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Capt. Turner raised her assault rifle and approached Kyle and Sgt. Morgan. "Alright, we need to regroup with the…"

BANG!

A sniper shot cracked through Capt. Turner's helmet. Glass, blood and flesh flew out as the shot exited the other side and her body fell to the ground. A group of Raptors emerged from the way they came in.

"Incoming!" Sgt. Morgan shouted through TEAMCOM. The squad took cover from the enemy fire. The Zealot whipped out a plasma rifle and joined the squad in retaliating. Sgt. Morgan slinked behind his cover and put his hand to his helmet. "This is Bravo squad. The batteries are down, but we have Raptors suppressing our position in the complex. Requesting assistance."

There was no answer from outside.

"Somebody answer the damn TEAMCOM!"

Nothing.

From the corner of Kyle's visor, he spotted multiple objects fly out through the hallway right by his feet. Not again! "Grenade!" The squad rushed out of cover as the grenades detonated. This time though, they exploded with large clouds of smoke that kept spewing across the room. They were trying to catch Kyle's squad off guard. Kyle's visor scanned to tag the rest of the squad through the smoke.

"Nolan! Shinjiro!" Sgt. Morgan chimed through TEAMCOM, "The Boneheads are going to pour through any second. Find another way out! We'll regroup outside!"

Kyle heard footsteps approaching their position. Kyle checked the room, trying to decide which of the nearby hallways would lead him out. After debating it in his mind for all of two seconds, Kyle bolted to the one nearest to him. The smoke had filled the room up completely, forcing Kyle to rely on his thermal vision to escape.

"Come on, you avian bastards!" Sgt. Morgan shouted over the TEAMCOM as he fired at the Raptors. "Gimme all you got! I'm gonna kick your asses six ways to-"

BANG! Sgt. Morgan's TEAMCOM line went silent.

Kyle continued down the hallway. As Kyle rounded the next corner though, he bumped right into a lone Raptor. It slammed the butt of its gun at Kyle, knocking his Hurricane out of his hand. Kyle grabbed hold of its gun and wrestled against it.

"There's one over here!" The Raptor shouted in a panic as they struggled. The Raptor then kicked into Kyle's legs, forcing him onto one of his knees. It used their combined weight to push Kyle and pin him to the ground. After a struggle, the Raptor threw his gun to the side and grabbed hold of Kyle's neck with his left hand. Kyle tried to pry the hand off his throat off while landing a punch with his other hand. The Raptor only hesitated for a millisecond before tightening his grip onto Kyle's neck. The look on that ugly bird thing's face was not of confidence as much as it was a hopeful nervousness. Kyle gasped and kicked his legs, feeling a bit dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

He then noticed where the Raptor's other hand was going. It was reaching for a knife at his belt. Kyle's eyes widened. He had to think fast. Both of their guns were too far for Kyle to grab. The Raptor unsheathed the curiously designed blade. Just then, Kyle thought of something.

Kyle let go of the hand at his throat and grabbed the Raptor's wrist mid-stab. They squirmed and struggled as Kyle's other hand went for his own belt. The knife came closer and closer to Kyle's chest. Right when it was about to reach its target, Kyle pulled out his grandfather's pistol and pointed it directly between the Raptor's eyes.

The horrified look on that sorry freak's face was not one to forget as Kyle fired four rounds into its skull. Its shields shimmered and shattered, followed by the spray of blood from the holes in its head. The knife fell limply out of its hand and its body collapsed onto Kyle. Kyle was still pinned. He tried to quickly force the Raptor off.

Several shots soared over Kyle's head as three Raptors arrived at the scene. Kyle freed himself from the corpse and quickly clambered around the corner to avoid the incoming fire. He looked across the hallway to see his Hurricane on the other side. He had to find a way to reach it…

BOOM!

Kyle saw the explosion of a plasma grenade take out two Raptors. The other turned to see the Sanghelli Zealot from before uncloak and charge with the energy sword ready to skewer. Kyle used this distraction to rush over and scoop up his gun. The screams from the Turians being torn up were unsettling to say in the least. He turned to aid the Zealot. In the time he took to get the gun though, four more Raptors arrived and tore into the Zealot with their guns. He fired back, but his shields shorted out from the enemy fire. His body was shredded and with a gurgling roar, he collapsed onto the ground.

Now it was Kyle's turn to get angry! As much as he was an alien, the Zealot was on Kyle's side and had helped them plenty. Kyle fired frenetically, dual wielding his Hurricane and pistol. One Raptor went down from the barrage, but the others took cover to fire back. Kyle hid back behind the corner to reload the pistol. He was alone to take them on now. If he was going down, he would take them with him. With a deep breath, he heroically charged down the hall firing wildly. Kyle's grandfather would kill him if he saw this.

To Kyle's surprise, they all went down. He was pretty sure that not all of his rounds hit them though. It was then a familiar sight came from behind the Raptors. Cpl. Shinjiro lowered his gun when he saw Kyle and chuckled relieved.

"Thank God!" Cpl. Shinjiro removed his helmet. His youthful Japanese face was soaked in sweat. "You alright?" He said as he wiped his face with his hand.

Kyle removed his own helmet and holstered his pistol. "Got a bit clipped, but I'm good." He approached the fallen Zealot. As much as he regretted this, the Zealot's weapons could be useful. He took the remaining two plasma grenades from the Zealot's belt and tossed one to Cpl. Shinjiro. "Did the Sergeant make it out?"

Cpl. Shinjiro shook his head as he snapped the grenade to his belt. "Haven't heard from anyone outside either. TEAMCOM's been quiet. Think they're still fighting?"

"If they are, it shouldn't be for much longer." Kyle checked the Zealot's Plasma Rifle. It only had a few shots left. Not enough to help in a fight. He dropped it and stood to face the corporal. "Think you're ready to kick some more ass?"

"Ooh-rah!" Cpl. Shinjiro exclaimed quietly. They put their helmets back on and proceeded into a nearby room. They kept their backs facing each other, covering both sides should they be flanked. One can never be too cautious.

Soon, they found their way back to the entrance. Kyle peered out ahead. Aside from the corpses of fallen Turians, humans, Sanghelli and Unggoy, the area looked clear. He could hear the rumbles of explosions in the distance. The rest of the force was still engaged and needed them. Kyle turned to Cpl. Shinjiro and gave a thumbs up. With Cpl. Shinjiro's thumbs up in return, the two of them rushed outside.

As they exited, Kyle immediately felt something was very wrong. He turned to his right and confirmed the bad feeling. A Turian M-080, one of their main anti-infantry vehicles, was waiting right outside for them. Kyle could hear its mounted machine gun prepping to fire…

…

1621 Hours, December 15th, 2682

Lower Wards Back Alleys

Citadel

Widow System, Serpent Nebula

…

The small Turian thug barely turned around before Kyle landed a punch into its face. Its grip released and the Quarian scrambled away. Kyle saw the Turian reach for the pistol and grabbed its hand. He lifted the gun with the Turian still holding on and fired. The ugly thug's knee was struck and fell down shouting in pain. Good! They didn't have their shields on. Probably didn't expect the Quarian to put up a fight.

Kyle twisted the pistol out of the small thug's hand and shoved it into the large one, causing them to stumble. Kyle rushed over and gave a swift upward kick into the ugly one's face. It flew backwards a bit and collapsed onto the ground.

The other two rushed towards Kyle. The large one swung a fist wildly towards Kyle's face. Kyle dodged it and gave a jab into its gut. The small one pulled out its knife and swung at Kyle with it. After a few dodges, Kyle grabbed onto its wrist and jammed a fist hard upwards into its arm.

CRUNCH!

The small one screamed as the bones crunched. Kyle forced the knife out from its hand and gave another firm punch to the thug's face, knocking it out cold.

The large Turian unfolded its own pistol. Kyle rolled out of the way as it took two shots at him. Before it could shoot again, Kyle flung his newly acquired knife. It embedded into the Turian's shoulder, causing it to drop its gun. This gave Kyle the distraction to rush forward, grab it by the throat and slam it into the nearby wall. The Turian tried to pry Kyle's hand off, but Kyle punched into its face. Then he punched again. And again. Kyle didn't feel like he would ever stop. Each successful blow reverberated in his ears. When the Turian began to slump from fatigue, Kyle flung it to the ground. It rolled to a stop, too weak to get back up.

Kyle stood where he was, breathing deeply with rage. It took him a few seconds to relax and recall what happened. He had been on autopilot again. The last several seconds repeated itself in his mind in slow motion. Kyle's moves were so seamlessly transitioned that it felt like a blur. And yet…it also felt really…really good…

"BEHIND YOU!" The Quarian shouted to Kyle. He turned just in time to see a large metal pipe slam into his side. Kyle stumbled to the ground. The ugly Turian stood over him with a pipe it had picked up nearby, still limping from the shot at its knee. It lifted the pipe and swung it down at Kyle.

Kyle's left hand shot up and stopped the pipe. A loud metallic clang was heard from the impact, giving the Turian concern. Kyle's teeth clenched and he gripped harder onto the pipe. The part of the pipe he held crumpled and bent. Now the thug was very worried. Kyle stood up, holding his side, and glared at the ugly Turian. It nervously lifted the pipe towards Kyle, backing away a few steps…

WHACK!

The butt of a pistol knocked against its head and it collapsed onto the ground. The Quarian stood there, holding the small thug's pistol. It simply remained where it was, directing its attention at Kyle. Though Kyle couldn't see past the visor, he could read the Quarian's body language. She seemed…confused, worried, amazed and frightened. More so at Kyle himself than anything that just happened. Was he really that intimidating?

The two of them turned as voices echoed from one of the alleyways. C-Sec! Their eyes met again. The Quarian nodded nervously. He hadn't really implied anything with that look, but he got the hint. She dropped the pistol as Kyle ran down the opposite alleyway. Kyle's prints wouldn't be found because of his gloves and there wouldn't be any video evidence. Still, he'd rather not risk sticking around.

He quickly navigated through the alleyways until he saw a good exit. Kyle blended nonchalantly into a crowd heading to the nearest lift. He just needed to get back to the ship. He rubbed his left hand. Hopefully it wasn't damaged from the fight…

…

The M-080's machine gun fired as Kyle and Cpl. Shinjiro bolted. Kyle could feel the heat of the rounds as they passed by him. If God really was out there, Kyle hoped this was some act of divine intervention. Kyle spotted a large wall nearby and dove behind it as the machine gun fire zipped past him. He scrambled to his feet. Something was wrong. He peaked around the wall to see where the corporal was.

Cpl. Shinjiro's body was sprawled out on the ground, burning holes riddled into his back. Kyle cursed under his breath. The M-080's gun had stopped, waiting in case Kyle would step into range. Now what was he going to do? Where was every-?

"Greenhorn!"

Kyle aimed his submachine gun at the faintly British voice, only see it was another human. Everyone seemed to just keep surprising him today. His visor tagged the soldier as Lieutenant David Anderson. Didn't ring a bell. Kyle hadn't see him in the debriefing, so he must have been part of a different squad. Still, Kyle was mildly relieved to see someone alive.

"Sir," Kyle exclaimed, "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"All over the bloody place," Anderson replied, motioning towards the battlefield. Kyle peaked around the wall. Everyone? There was still fighting in the distance from whoever else was still alive, but it was faint. Several soldier from his own squad were amongst the bodies nearby, along with the remains of the Mantis. The Mgalekgolo bond brothers were in a collapsed mess near the top of the hill, their insides splattered on the ground.

The M-080 rolled forward as a group of Raptors exited from behind it. Two of them kept watch while another tended to a wounded Raptor nearby. Two more came from the entrance Kyle just ran from, one of them being supported by the other.

"Things are looking pretty FUBAR, sir!" Kyle said as he turned back to Anderson, removing his helmet.

"Only if you're a pussy!" Anderson replied, removing his own helmet. He was an intimidating black man, yet he had a warmth and determination that was infectious. "These wankers have more firepower, but they aren't ODST tough. And we still got our weapons, so we can still kick some ass!"

Kyle smiled. At least the lieutenant was confident in dire situations. "Any ideas, sir?"

"A few." Anderson motioned to a nearby spot. "See that?"

A lone rocket launcher lay on top of a fallen ODST soldier. Anderson's confidence meant it must still be loaded. Kyle nodded.

Anderson reached for a sniper rifle next to him. "It's not going to be easy, but here's the thing. I don't know how many rockets are in there. Hopefully one should be enough. You'll have to aim carefully. I'll draw the other sods' attention."

Kyle gripped his submachine gun. So he was going to run out, get the rocket launcher, position himself in the right spot and hope however many rockets were left would stop the M-080? Kyle gulped, but tried to remain confident.

"Don't bugger out on me now, soldier," Anderson said. "This is your chance to be a hero. Show these blimey bastards they can't take our planet!"

Kyle nodded nervously. "Ooh-rah!" They put their helmets back on and Kyle moved to Anderson's opposite side. It was going to be a bit of a run to get to the launcher, but Kyle had a second wind kicking in...or he tried to convince himself he did.

"Ready?" Anderson lifted his sniper at the ready. Kyle nodded. He could do this. He could do this. He kept telling himself he could do this….

"GO!"

Kyle rushed down the hill. The Raptors fired at him, clearly not missing the lone human sprinting like a madman. A shot cracked and one of the Raptors cried out. The rest turned their attention to Anderson's position. Kyle hoped Anderson was moving out of cover to escape M-080's retaliation.

Kyle ran until his lungs were on fire, but he finally made it. Prying the dead soldier's hands off of the rocket launcher, while also muttering an apology, Kyle hoisted it to his shoulder and ran towards the M-080. Kyle checked the ammo counter. One rocket left. Damn! This shot better connect.

Kyle reached a good distance and bent onto one knee. He aimed carefully. The M-080 fired its main missile turret at the wall, blowing it into chunks. Kyle couldn't tell if Anderson was behind it, but didn't have time to look. He held his breath and fired.

The rocket soared across the hill. It slammed into the side of M-080, catching two Raptors in the impact. Bits of metal flew out and the cockpit windows exploded, revealing the driver. Kyle smiled.

This was short lived though, as the M-080's turret now turned to fire at him. It was still in this fight! Kyle dropped the launcher and dove behind a collapsible barricade as the M-080's machine guns fired. Loud denting sounds reverberated across the barricade. Kyle knew it was only a matter of time before it launched a missile. He had to think. What could he do now?

"Eat Earth fury!"

Kyle heard an explosion. He peeked over for a millisecond to see the remnant of a grenade explosion take out a couple of Raptors. An impulse then kicked in.

Kyle leapt to his feet and ran as the M-080 destroyed the barricade with a missile. There was not a second to waste. Kyle charged directly at the M-080. Some may call it crazy, but right then Kyle felt as invincible as a Spartan. He couldn't explain where this burst of courage came from other than it happened. He mechanically reached down to his belt and pulled out the looted plasma grenade, priming it mid-sprint.

Kyle was close enough now that he could duck and avoid the turret's missile as it shot over his head. With the strength of an Olympic shot-putter, Kyle hurled the plasma grenade into the exposed cockpit. The grenade latched onto the driver's face, who panicked and scrambled to pull it off. Kyle bolted and dove to the ground.

BOOM!

The explosion engulfed the cockpit and a good chunk of the M-080. The turret wasn't moving anymore. Kyle turned around to see his handiwork. The M-080 was now a smoldering ruin. Kyle's battle fury cooled down and he smirked. This was the kind of stuff medals were given for…

BANG!

A shot rang out and hit something to Kyle's left. A Raptor soldier fell to the ground. Kyle saw Lieutenant Anderson across the way with his sniper rifle still smoking.

"You lose a few points for not checking your surroundings but damn good work overall," Anderson joked over TEAMCOM.

"Well there goes my promotion," Kyle joked back. He hurried to Anderson's position so they could prepare for their next move…

…but he noticed something behind the lieutenant. A Raptor, with a fresh wound on its leg, unfolded a sniper rifle and took aim at Anderson. Kyle's eyes widened. No time to think now as Kyle picked up a sprint. "LIEUTENANT!" Anderson turned, but Kyle pushed Anderson to the side…

BANG!

The pain that seared through Kyle's arm was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It had even been burned on a stove once, not his decision, and that was soothing in comparison. The scene seemed to play itself in slow motion. The round from the rifle shooting out. Anderson still stumbling back from the push. Kyle attempting to retract his hand from the push. The bullet entering into his left wrist. His wrist exploding, sending his hand falling onto the floor. Whatever kind of gun was used, it was a hell of a shot.

Time played back to normal speed as Kyle howled in pain and fell to the ground, holding the fresh stump with his other hand. Blood soaked into his armor and underlay.

BANG!

A shot came from Anderson's position and sniper tumbled onto the ground. Kyle couldn't see the lieutenant's kill though. He was too much in shock over losing his hand. Blood continued to run out of the stump. Kyle strained and groaned, hyperventilating and gritting his teeth. "Oh God! Damn it! God! Shit!"

Anderson ran to Kyle and threw his helmet off. He was trying to keep his cool, though his face showed he understood the severity of the injury. "Nolan! Calm down! We'll get you to the med-bay ASAP! It will be alright! " Anderson began applying medi-gel and bio-foam to coagulate the wound. "There's going to be no dying here! Keep calm! Breathe deeply!" Anderson was doing his best, but it wasn't going to be enough without-

"This is Pelican Four to ground team. Ground team, do you read?"

Anderson looked up. Out in Shanxi's orbit, Alliance and Sanghelli cruisers were taking on the Raptor fleet. The Admiral had arrived with the rest of the Second Fleet. Pelican drop ships, Kodiak shuttles and ODST drop pods were exiting orbit to the planet's surface. Anderson pressed onto his TEAMCOM earpiece. "This is Lieutenant Anderson. We have numerous casualties and wounded. Requesting immediate medical support."

"Roger that. Heading to your coordinates."

Kyle turned to his side as ODST drop pods crashed down around them. Soldiers popped out, chattering and barking orders over TEAMCOM to secure the area. He could hear the Pelicans arriving right behind them. Anderson helped Nolan onto his feet. He would be leaving the battlefield soon. His first time in a fight and he had to quit early. He looked down at the stump again…

…

It's been a long trip back to the dock and the slow elevators didn't help. They moved like molasses on their best days and Kyle's had to use at least three of them already. It was another item on his list of reasons he didn't live on the Citadel.

Kyle removed the glove on his left hand, revealing the synthetic hand underneath. He had it inspected the last time he was on the Citadel, but since that scrap with the Turian thugs it had felt off for some reason. He didn't have time to get it repaired now though. He'd have to do his best in the ship's garage.

Kyle could have had a hand cloned to replace the lost one. This was the usual way soldiers overcame missing limbs. Kyle never gave that option a second thought. No matter what hand would be stuck onto his arm, it wouldn't be his hand. As far as he was concerned, his hand was still on Shanxi. He may as well have a hand made of metal instead of someone else's.

He tested the fingers individually. They all responded like usual. Then he tested multiple fingers at a time. They were fine. Then he tested the wrist base. All seemed to work fine. So why did it feel off?

The scene from Shanxi repeated itself in his mind again. The memory was always in slow motion, emphasizing every little detail. The shot was still as loud as he remembered. The pain was still as intense. The frustration was still as obnoxious and enraging. And the sight of his severed hand off a few feet away, still in the position it was when he pushed Anderson out of the way. Still fresh with blood…

Kyle realized his synthetic hand was tightly curled up in a fist. The stress was causing his injured side to act up. He needed to calm down. He didn't want to go through the sessions again. He wasn't angry anymore…right? He had targeted the problem. He had talked out his frustrations. He should be fine…

…but he just bludgeoned three Turians in an alleyway. It was in self-defense! He threw the first punch though. It was to protect the Quarian right? Could he have talked it over peacefully? Did…?

He stopped. Thinking too hard was how he got in trouble last time. He tried to empty his mind by focusing on the news playing through the elevator's speakers.

"…In other news, three people were hospitalized following a vicious fight in the Citadel's lower wards."

Kyle's eyes shot open. The news now had his full attention.

"The victims claimed an Alliance marine attacked the group 'unprovoked' while they were engaged in a business deal. However, contradictory claims from an eyewitness, along with lack of evidence, hold the identity of the assailant and his motives in doubt. Alliance officials are willing to cooperate with C-Sec should evidence point to the victims' story. The victims are also being questioned, based on the eyewitness' testimony suspecting links to criminal activities on the Citadel. C-Sec will continue to investigate the situation, encouraging the Council to increase surveillance for the less populated areas of the lower wards to prevent these incidents. Coming up next, elevator maintenance continues in the…"

Kyle sighed. Sounds like the Quarian had his back for now. He couldn't count on things working out every time though. He needed to think ahead next time. Make sure that if he ever beat up a few Turian bastards again…

The elevator came to a stop. Kyle exited and proceeded to his assigned ship, the _SSV Tokyo_. She was a pretty sturdy cruiser, at least from what Kyle gathered serving on it. He slid his glove back on, rubbed his injured side with one hand and made his way through the ship's airlock.

After what felt like an eternity of decontamination, Kyle was back on the ship. All he needed was a quick trip to the med bay, then to the garage and then he could get some rest…

"2nd Lieutenant."

Kyle turned sharply. Standing there was his superior officer, dressed in his Alliance blues officer uniform. Though the years had worn down some of his more rugged features and accent, he was still the same leader Kyle had followed for so many years. Kyle recollected his posture.

"Captain Anderson!" Kyle raised his hand in salute.

"At ease." Kyle lowered his salute. Anderson smiled. "Enjoy your shore leave?"

"As much as you can on the Citadel. It's not quite Earth, though."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your chance. Heard from your family lately?"

"Bits and pieces. You know, 'Oh the kids are doing great' or 'Mom and dad just got back from a trip to Harvest.' Things are pretty uncomplicated for them."

"If only it were for all of us." Anderson wiped something off his shoulder and turned back to Kyle. "Something on your mind?"

Kyle still wasn't as good at hiding his emotions from Anderson as he thought. He rubbed his arm and averted his gaze.

"I've just been…thinking…"

"Same thing?"

"Yeah."

Anderson crossed his arms. "You told me everything was fine."

"It is. I'm a lot better. I just…well…" Kyle lifted his left hand. "It's easy to remember things."

"War brings a lot of tragedy, Kyle. Everyone loses something when they fight. Some more than others."

Kyle looked down to the ground. He anticipated another lecture. Anderson had become a lot softer and sage-like since the First Contact War, despite whatever military presence he still carried.

"I'm not going to lecture you," Anderson replied, probably sensing Kyle's displeasure. "You kept a lid on it for so long that it was going to come out again. I still trust you. And I know you can still do your job. So do what you need to so you can get a handle on this again. We need you in top form for whatever comes next. Understood?"

There were a few seconds of silence as Kyle mulled this over. Anderson was the only person Kyle knew that could make him feel like this. Not even the other leaders had this kind of…hold, for lack of a better word, on him. And worse, it was a hold that required no coercion or intimidation. Both men respected each other for their respective skills and as much as Kyle could list his own skills, he always knew Anderson was the superior soldier and leader. And that is what made Anderson's hold so powerful.

Kyle nodded. "Sir yes sir."

Anderson smiled. "You're a good man, Kyle. I'm glad to have you around." He respectfully patted Kyle's shoulder. "We'll be leaving the dock shortly, so make sure you have everything set."

Kyle began to walk away.

"Oh," Anderson added, "And I hope you went easy on them."

Kyle turned sharply back at Anderson. "Uh…sorry?"

"Resolme and Jenson. Sounds like you cleaned their pockets."

Kyle chuckled, relieved it wasn't anything more. "Oh…haha! Uh, yeah, they're just being drama queens. They didn't even put down that much compared to me. You know how Greenhorns are. Got to knock them down a peg so they can grow."

"I've had plenty of experience to understand that. Just don't abuse the mentoring privilege. Too much tough love can still break a private."

"Right sir."

"Dismissed, Lt. Nolan."

Kyle nodded back and walked down the ship's bridge. Well…he dodged a bullet there. He wasn't quite in the mood to be grilled again. Kyle wouldn't put it past Anderson to have pieced together who attacked those Turians. He didn't though, so Kyle was relieved. Right now, all he wanted to do was get off the Citadel. Surely whatever happened out in space while other humans surround him would be preferable to just waiting around here…

…

**Codex Entry (Alliance): Orbital Drop Shock Troopers- History**

_The unit originated during the Martian campaign against the Neo-Communist Koslovics, when the 105__th__ infantry deployed from Mars' orbit to support United Nations forces. The title Orbital Drop Shock Trooper was officially established following successful drops in the Rain Forest Wars and the Jovian Moons campaign. However, the ODST's involvement in Earth military affairs diminished as focus diverted to more pressing issues such overpopulation and famine._

_The outer colony Insurrection in 2490 was a turning point for rejuvenating interest in the unit's combat capabilities. ODST squads were deployed on regular high-risk operations to sabotage Insurrectionist suppliers and assist UNSC forces in joint assaults. The dawn of the Human-Covenant war put an end to this, diverting the ODST's attention to engaging Covenant ground forces in full-scale combat. Though casualties were high, the ODST valiantly fought in every major campaign from Harvest to the final Battle of the Ark. To this day, ODST headquarters preserves a memorial for the many soldiers who gave their lives to ensure peace amongst the 314 races._

_The discovery of the Mass Relays and expansion into Citadel space only furthered the ODST's reputation. Following the occupation of the human colony Shanxi, they were amongst the first humans to engage in direct combat with Turian soldiers. From liberating cities to clearing vital enemy positions, the ODST held their own against the Turian military for the entirety of the "First Contact War." Their acts of heroism and sacrifice has served as a rallying cry for future ODST recruitment, as well as an unfortunate political tool for anti-alien activists like the Terra Firma party._

_Following the First Contact War, the ODST went through radical changes. Security and protection became new priorities as the Alliance increased its colonization efforts and attempted to build connections with the Citadel races. From counter-terrorism operations to reconnaissance for further colonial expansion, ODST involvement within the Alliance has taken on a multi-faceted role. ODST squads are regularly rotated amongst Alliance cruisers to boost efficiency and morale. They have also proved invaluable in field-testing new technologies, leading to many weapons, armor and vehicles becoming standard in the Alliance military. However, direct action has remained their primary focus and selling point._

_Further information on Orbital Drop Shock Trooper history can be found through the extranet and numerous war museums within the Forerunner cluster._

**And with that, the first two chapters of Last of an Ancient Breed are complete. Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to review and critique the story as you please, either through the review section or PMs. I am pretty open to suggestions for improvement and corrections if any need to be addressed. Let me know what you think of these chapters, Kyle as a character or whatever else is on your mind about this story.**

**As well, remember to check out the source story, ****The Last Spartan****, here:**

** s/5939286/1/The-Last-Spartan**


	3. Exhuming the Hushed Casket (Part 1)

**My sincerest apologies for the lateness of these two chapters. I had a lot on my plate lately, including finals at my college, girlfriend stuff, family and completely rewriting huge chunks of these chapters. I am ready to post now though.**

**One quick note first. Through some study of the Alliance's military rankings, I realized Ralston's rank in the previous chapters was too high. So I have retconned it from major to lieutenant so it works better for the rest of the story.**

**Once again, a huge thanks to DinoJake for all the work he does. If you are not reading ****The Last Spartan****, ****DigiDorks****, or any of his other work, check it out.**

**I also would love to put out a few plugs of my own. For one, I have just started a new fanfiction story for TellTale's The Walking Dead Game titled ****A Life of Service.**** The first chapter is up for your viewing pleasure and the second will be posted within the next week.**

**And for any and all Academy Award fans or just general writers, I co-administrate a contest called "Bait an Oscar" where you pitch your dream Oscar winning vehicles for monthly competitions. Essentially, it is a simulated Oscar race with your own press section, campaigning and eventual awards given out. The contest is all for fun, so the real prize is the skills learned and the fun involved. Check us out on our site at Weebly (use your search engine to find it easier).**

** And with all of that done, here is the continuing adventure of Kyle Nolan and now his squad of ODST soldiers. This chapter will overlap Chapters 2 and 3 from ****The Last Spartan****, offering a second viewpoint on the events that happened. It will be fun!**

**...**

0942 Hours, February 14, 2683

_SSV Tokyo_

Patrolling the Hourglass Nebula

...

Private Devon Resolme felt everyone's eyes on him as he moved into an attack stance. The young Filipino's eyes focused down the firing range for anything out of the ordinary. He took a deep breath and straightened his posture. He was probably taking this too seriously, but that's what happens when you're the new guy. Every move you make either proves your worth or makes you the joke of the mess hall.

His hand moved slowly to the folded M-3 Predator pistol at his side. A bead of sweat slid to his eye. Ok, he was getting way too into this. The lieutenant said that you needed to be ready for an attack at any moment. The fact there wasn't even a target up yet meant that they were toying with him now. That's what he gets for being the last one up. He had to be ready if-

The target popped up. Resolme panicked, but did his best to recover. He quickly grabbed his pistol and unfolded it. Two seconds already gone. Make the next second count! He quickly aimed from the hip and fired.

BZZZT!

A flashing red light lit the holographic dummy's crotch, eliciting a large laugh from the dozen soldiers surrounding him. Resolme groaned. He was trying to aim for the head!

"Points for creativity, Private."

Resolme turned to see 2nd Lt. Kyle Nolan, the squad's leader, move from the wall he was leaning on. Resolme waited for the corrections about his posture or whatever to begin.

Instead, the lieutenant turned to the squad. "Yeah, really funny, Remind me. How many of you guys actually HIT the target?"

The laughter died down a bit. Resolme smiled. He was just happy the lieutenant had his back. It probably wouldn't last, but even a moment was comforting…

...

Kyle knew that would shut them up. Nothing silenced an ODST soldier more than pointing out their flaws. Sure, Resolme clearly panic jumped and his aim was wildly off, but actually hitting the target was to be commended. Kyle knew Resolme had shown a lot of talent for being a greenhorn, so he had…conveniently planned this part of their daily training on the firing range. He also purposely delayed popping the holographic dummy to test the private. At least he now knew if anything, Resolme could "disable" certain enemies before he finished them off.

"That's what I thought," Kyle addressed the soldiers. "I'm standing with some of the best soldiers the Alliance has put through the meat grinder, ODST and standard marine alike. And an FNG can quick draw better than all of you."

Then, a soldier from the ship's marine detachment spoke out. "Sir, what's the point of all of this?"

Kyle turned to the soldier. "Pardon?"

"Well, do we really need to practice this? I'm not sure how efficient a trick like this is in combat. We're not cowboys." A few of the other soldiers nodded and mumbled in agreement.

Kyle crossed his arms and smirked. "That we are not. You're absolutely right. I was wondering why there was a significant lack of tumble weeds and busty saloon babes."

Some of the men chuckled. Kyle continued.

"Let me ask you all something though. How much time does it take for one stray bullet to pierce your skull?"

The men were quiet. Not because they didn't know, but because it was obviously a rhetorical question. Kyle made a zero with his fingers.

"That much. We're so spoiled with our cutting edge kinetic barriers that we forget there is only so much punishment they can take. Think they'll do any good against a trainer sniper with a Widow or Mantis? The shit they will!"

Kyle unfolded his Razer pistol and twirled it around cowboy style. He loved doing that. "Time can make all of the difference on a battlefield. One second can determine if you get a medal or a body bag as a reward. You need to be faster than your opponent with any gun, even a pistol."

He folded the pistol again and activated his omni-tool. "It's about focus. It's about patience. It's about knowing that at any moment, you have to be ready to-"

Kyle pressed a button on the omni-tool. Another holographic dummy popped up on the range.

"-STRIKE!"

Within a second, Kyle whipped around, pulled out his pistol and fired from the hip. A red light flashed between the dummy's eyes. He could hear small gasps of awe from a couple soldiers, including Resolme. He twirled the gun back to its slot and made another zero with his hand.

"That much!"

This wasn't meant to be a shaming moment. It was to make a point. He should reinforce that just in case though.

"You're enemy may be fast. He may be strong. He may be accurate. You know what you all are though? Faster, stronger and more accurate!"

He twirled his pistol again, this time bouncing it off his good hand, catching it with his synthetic hand and twirling faster. Ok, now this was just Kyle showing off, but hopefully he was still making the point. "We don't have Spartans or superheroes helping us here. There are no mods or engineering to make you good soldiers. All we have is good old-fashioned human ingenuity, strength and reflexes. I don't care if you're using a Revenant, a Volkov, a Tornado or a damn Carnifex. You WILL be proficient with any gun, even if it means shooting someone between the eyes from your hip. You're the best the Alliance has to offer. Show them that!"

He waved a hand to the firing instructor, who had been waiting patiently on the sidelines. "Ok, my two cents are done. Continue please." As the soldiers went back to the practice, Kyle approached Resolme and spoke in a hushed voice. "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook. Three seconds is way too long to pull out a pistol. I expect at least a chest hit next time." Resolme nodded as he rejoined the group.

The instructor led the men through the typical firing and basic training procedures. Kyle returned to his previous spot and observed. He enjoyed being a fly on the wall from time to time. It allowed him to observe qualities of his squadmates he wouldn't be able to otherwise. The ODST prides itself with combat diversity and it was Kyle's job to keep an eye for who was good with what. He felt he had a pretty good team at the moment, Resolme included.

Over on the far side of the range was Corporal Tu'uta Tangilanu, a soldier from the Pacific island of Tonga. Most of the Tongans Kyle had met so far were pretty one in the same, being physically intimidating and jovial to a fault. However, even for the leanest Tongans, Tangilanu was particularly…unremarkable physically. He was, however, a skilled technician and Kyle made sure to take full advantage of that. He could pop a few heads with his shotgun when needed too.

A little further down was Sergeant Julianne Engelbrektsson, the squad's biotic support. Biotics were still a bit of an oddity, since Humans have not had them nearly as long as the Asari, Krogan or the other Council races. However, being able to throw up biotic shields and fling people like rag dolls proved a nifty skill for ODST recruits. Englebrektsson had enough opportunities to show that off for Kyle to be impressed. Her name was still a mouthful to say though.

Then there was Corporal Jared La Rosa, a soldier from Peru. La Rosa had served in the squad for a while and Kyle had noticed the young man's skill with long-range weaponry early on. He then introduced La Rosa to a sniper rifle and the rest was history. Now La Rosa was equally talented at shooting small targets from a distance as he was shooting off his mouth.

And then there was Operations Chief Asha Beckett, a British born Sri Lankan soldier. Beckett had served alongside Kyle the longest out of the group, making it a no-brainer to make her his second in command. She was a very driven soldier, good at following and executing orders. However, she was also a good person to ask for a second opinion should Kyle ever need it. To be honest, he didn't need it that often.

As Kyle continued to watch the practice, his TEAMCOM earpiece sounded off. "Bridge to Lt. Nolan."

Kyle put two fingers to the earpiece. "Nolan here. Basic exercises are going well."

"Good," the man over the earpiece replied, "The XO wants to talk to you in the Comm Room personally."

Kyle's curiosity was aroused. Normally they would just speak to him through the earpiece. It must be important. "Alright. I'll be there ASAP."

"I'll let him know. Over and out."

Kyle stood up from the wall and faced the squad. "Good work, everyone. Finish up your routines and return to your posts."

"Sir yes sir!" The squad replied in unison. Kyle exited the range and made his way to the elevator. He nodded to the requisitions officer as he pressed the button to the upper floor.

As the elevator slowly….ever so slowly….made its way up, Kyle thought about everyone at the practice. They were good soldiers. He hoped they would be the best soldiers someday. Maybe he was a little harsh with the showing off and lecturing though. Everyone started as a greenhorn, even Kyle. Heck, Kyle was hardly one to talk. Twenty years in the service and he was still just a 2nd Lieutenant. Granted, he had foolishly turned down a couple promotions out of some kind of pride. Even so, there were better soldiers who deserved the promotions more.

As the elevator door opened, one of those better soldiers was waiting by the galaxy map. Time had really hit this man with the ugly stick of age, but he was still as intimidating as ever. His graying hair had receded a lot and the wrinkles in his usually tough skin reminded Kyle of the Grand Canyon trenches. He'd never say that to the man's face of course. That guy could still pack a wallop when he needed to. He's been that way ever since Shanxi.

The XO reached out a hand as Kyle approached and smiled. "Those kids still misbehaving down there, Nolan?"

Kyle shook the XO's hand and chuckled. "No more than usual, Ralston."

Staff Commander Dominic Ralston was an inspirational story for the ODST. Although his squad had suffered its fair share of casualties in the first wave of Shanxi, Ralston rallied the rest of the troops to trump the Turians and push their lines back in key skirmishes. Kyle would have been a part of all of that if he hadn't been transferred to Anderson's squad early into the war. Still, he was happy for Ralston. Like Anderson, Ralston had ascended the ranks to represent to ODST in high places.

Ralston motioned Kyle to follow him. "Seriously, how're they all doing?"

"Exceptionally well. Did you expect anything less?"

"Nope. If someone I trained is teaching them, that's exactly what should happen."

They passed through a few of the auxiliary rooms as they entered the main hallway. "Did they say anything specific before you came up?" Ralston inquired.

Kyle shook his head. "No sir. They just said you wanted to speak to me."

"Good." Ralston's demeanor was…strange. Kyle couldn't quite put a finger on it. The XO seemed normal overall, but something was a bit off. He didn't think Ralston truly knew what it was either. They entered into the Comm Room and took seats from the chairs circling the room.

"Alright, this should be quiet enough." Ralston said, trying to act more comfortable.

Kyle shifted in his seat. "…am I in trouble?"

Ralston chuckled. "I would have yelled at you a lot more if you were."

Ok, so Kyle could rule that out. "Is Anderson joining us?"

Ralston shook his head. "He's working on a few things in his quarters. There's…a development happening." He leaned forward. "Alright, I should probably be a little less vague. Fleet Command wants us to regroup with the Fifth Fleet immediately."

"Ok…" Kyle replied as he cleared his throat, "Where are we headed to?"

"The Ismar Frontier."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Uh…no offense, but what's so important that they need the whole Fifth Fleet present? Nothing out in the Frontier but a few crap planets."

Ralston placed his hands on his lap. "I'd say that any other day too. However, Fleet Command got wind of something from a Turian exploration vessel. Apparently they found a derelict Human ship floating around one of the planets."

A human ship wandering about the Ismar Frontier? Well that was a bit weird, especially that the Turians would want to report it at all. Still, it didn't seem that urgent. "I didn't know any of our ships were patrolling the Ismar Frontier," Kyle inquired.

"They weren't…" Kyle waited as Ralston paused in the middle of that thought. Then Ralston continued. "It's a UNSC frigate."

That caught Kyle's attention. He figured they had salvaged all the ships from the war. It must have been a straggler from an unreported ambush. The Covenant had struck the outer colonies pretty quickly during the initial stages. Perhaps they pursued a ship through slipspace to a remote part of the galaxy. Whatever the case, the Alliance was surely excited to find a relic like that still intact.

"Thought I should let you know," Ralston continued. "We still don't know all the details so we're keeping things on a need to know basis. We'll brief everyone once things are clearer, but I want to have a plan ready regardless. The Alliance will want a full examination when we arrive. We don't know exactly what information or contents the ship may be carrying but we should expect that they'll ask us to…exhume any of it quickly."

Kyle nodded. Last thing they needed was for some Batarian or Jiralhanae raiders to loot their confidential military records.

"Glad you understand," Ralston continued. "We've already set course for the nearest mass relay. Meet me tomorrow so we can discuss this further." Ralston sat up. "Dismissed, lieutenant."

Kyle saluted the XO and left. An antique UNSC ship randomly floating in the Ismar Frontier and the entire Fifth Fleet was going to collect it? Not often that you find a piece of history knocking at your doorstep…

…

After a couple days of travel, the _Tokyo_ arrived at the Ismar Frontier with the rest of the Fifth Fleet. The brass wasted no time locking down the system. Patrols were established to keep watch for unwanted visitors, with some positioned around the mass relay for good measure. Other ships were ordered for more menial tasks, like scanning the nearby planets and scouting unexplored regions of the Frontier. The _Tokyo, _however, was in the heart of the scene as it parked within range of the derelict ship alongside several other Alliance vessels.

Kyle noticed a few Turian ships had been allowed to join in the escapades too, along with the exploration vessel that found the ship. He figured it was a political move to not take away the Turian's credit in the discovery. Still, this was a human matter. Kyle would have personally told them to get lost if he had the authority to do so. He didn't though.

Captain Anderson had left in a Kodiak shuttle fifteen minutes earlier to meet Admiral Hackett on the Fleet's flagship, the _Mt. Everest_. Things were still on a need to know basis, which was hard considering everyone on the crew really felt a need to know. Ralston had promised to make things clearer when they had more information. The fact he hadn't yet meant they still didn't know what was going on.

So for now, Kyle waited with his squad in the mess hall as they finished their breakfast. Most of the ship's work had been delegated to the main crew and marine detachment, so the ODST squad had more leeway to prepare for whatever the brass wanted. He used the time to explain what details Ralston had authorized to share.

"For real?" Tangilanu exclaimed quietly. "UNSC?"

"Honest to God," Kyle replied back, holding his hand up in mock solemnity.

"Do they know which one it is yet?" Engelbrektsson inquired.

Kyle shook his head. "The captain went over to survey the wreckage. They'll let us know soon enough."

Tangilanu was beaming. "Wow…this is a part of our history floating out there. You know my grandfather fought in the war, right?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone's did," La Rosa interjected. "But yes, I don't think anyone has forgotten how grandpa Tangilanu tangled with the Covvies with his bare hands."

"Ha. Go ahead and tease," Tangilanu replied back. "This is serious business. Still, I'm pretty sure most of the ships lost in the war were accounted for."

"Lost or destroyed?" Beckett asked.

"Well technically the Covenant destroyed every ship they came across so it's irrelevant. Most of those ships were tracked through UNSC databases for ID's, crew and service records to make sure anyone involved could find it. It's not likely they would 'misplace' a ship from that time period."

"It could be such an obvious answer that you're overlooking it," Beckett replied.

"I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about."

"What, you some kind of Human-Covenant War buff?" Engelbrektsson asked.

Tangilanu shrugged. "It's hard not to be when every possible story from the war has been posted on the Extranet. Who knows though? Maybe there's something I'm missing. Were there any battles fought out this far?"

"The Frontier wasn't even discovered by that time," La Rosa answered. "So no, it's highly doubtful."

Resolme sat at the table next to La Rosa with his breakfast fresh from the dispenser. "What's doubtful?"

"Your aim," La Rosa jokingly teased, to Resolme's chagrin. "No seriously, we're trying to figure out what ship that is out there."

Resolme shrugged. "Does it really matter? It's one of our ships. Whatever is on it should make us happy regardless."

"Oh?" Englebrektsson raised an eyebrow. "Well, what do you think is on the ship then?"

"Well…I mean..uh…" Resolme shrugged. "I dunno, maybe there are some MIA's ID tags to find or some other stuff."

"Of course," La Rosa replied with deadpan, "Because the brass would send the entire Fifth Fleet to retrieve ID tags."

Resolme shrugged again. "I'm just saying."

Kyle finished the remainder of his meal. "No matter what is or isn't on the ship, I want everyone ready for whatever the brass asks of us."

"Is there much to be ready for, sir?" Tangilanu replied. "It's probably just a bunch of old weapons and tech."

"Life has a way of hiding all kinds of secrets," Kyle replied. "That ship's been out there for…what, a hundred and thirty years? Anything could have made its way on there in that time."

"Yeah," La Rosa piped in, "Like some unknown parasitic alien that lays its eggs in our bodies. Or maybe some Jiralhanae pirate is using it to deposit his vast booty of space gold."

The squad chuckled.

"Ok, maybe not ANYTHING," Kyle corrected himself. "Still, if they called the whole fleet in, there's got to be something special abo-"

"Nolan!"

Ralston's voice piped over Kyle's earpiece. Kyle moved his fingers to it, drawing the squad's attention. "Nolan here."

"Come to the bridge immediately. Ralston out." Well…that was brief. Which means Kyle should do what the XO said.

"I'll be back." Kyle said to the squad before he quickly proceeded to the stairs. He figured it would be faster than riding the elevator, and it was only a floor up.

Ralston waited by one of the terminals next to the galaxy map as Kyle entered the bridge. He waved Kyle over and turned back to the terminal. "The lieutenant's here, sir."

"Excellent," Captain Anderson's voice spoke through the terminal. "Kyle, we've just scouted the ship. It's…well, you should see for yourself."

Kyle studied over the images Anderson sent through the terminal. The ship was…definitely a war relic. It had been cut in half by something beyond Kyle's guess. Various parts and equipment floated in a slow orbit around the ship. The paint was still intact and displaying the old UNSC colors in all their glory. Other than the other Kodiaks and fighters surveying the wreckage, it didn't seem like anything special…

…until Kyle noticed the name printed on the ship's side. His eyes widened. Ralston's did too. So the answer was so obvious Tangilanu couldn't figure it out. Mostly because no one expected to ever find remains for this particular ship.

They had found the _Forward Unto Dawn_!

"Get a team ready and meet us on the _Mt. Everest_. Anderson out."

Ralston turned to Kyle, still wide-eyed in disbelief. Kyle nodded and raced down the stairs as he spoke into his earpiece.

"Beckett, get everyone geared up now!"

….

Kyle quietly sat in his seat on the Kodiak as they traveled to the _Forward Unto Dawn_. The last hour had been quite chaotic. News spread quickly of the ship's identity and the whole fleet was in a strange mixture of excited and somber. This was not just a scavenging mission for UNSC tech and documents anymore. It was a search for something even more important.

Everyone knew what the big deal was. For many, the _Forward Unto Dawn_ was a symbol of Humanity's victory during the Human-Covenant War. It was one of the ships that fought alongside the newly allied Sanghelli in the Battle of the Ark against the Prophet of Truth's forces. Following the Prophet's defeat, the _Forward Unto Dawn_ was the last ship to travel back through the slipspace portal to Earth. Unfortunately, only half of the ship made it through the jump, with the Sanghelli's Arbiter as the sole occupant. Whatever was left of the ship was either lost in slipspace or floating adrift with the remnants of Truth's fleet. This was a tragic loss, particularly because of who was stuck on the other half of the ship.

Now that they had found the ship though, they could finally bring the Master Chief home for a real hero's burial.

Anderson had wasted no time organizing search parties from all the available soldiers in the fleet. He wanted a thorough search conducted for any trace of the Chief's corpse. Kyle's squad had been split up to help diversify the search, but he still had Resolme, Beckett and Englebrektsson with him. Anderson had also chosen Private Peter Wallis, Gunnery Chief Gisele Trover and Corporal Timothy Michaels from the _Tokyo_'s marine detachment to accompany them. It seemed like a good group to at least talk to during the search.

No one was in a talkative mood though. It wasn't a particularly celebratory thing they were doing. The Spartans, not just Master Chief, were heroes. Some would argue that if wasn't for them, Humanity would only be a memory today. And now they were going to help bury the most famous Spartan of them all.

Most of them sat awkwardly in their seats or stood around. Kyle wanted to say something to perk them up. He looked over to Beckett, who nodded in agreement to his unspoken concern.

As he opened his mouth, Engelbrektsson broke the silence. "You know…I wouldn't have been born if it wasn't for the Spartans."

The squad turned to her as she spoke. "My great-grandparents lived on one of the outer colonies when the Covenant invaded. My great-grandfather served in the colony's militia and was helping the rest of his squad evacuate civilians. Several platoons of Kig-Yar and Sanghelli broke through the defenses and fired at them. The whole situation was a mess. He remembered seeing plasma melt limbs off people as they ran and militiamen being cut down in the crossfire."

She pointed to her side. "A stray Covenant Carbine shot hit him hard and he fell to the ground. He vision faded and his insides screamed in pain. All he could think about was getting up to help the last few civilians escape before he died. Then he saw these two…giants come out of nowhere and charge the Covenant headlong. He had never seen the Covenant retreat before, but he understood why. He used to say the Spartans were like Terminators. They had no fear in battle, they moved with mechanical precision and they could take punishment that would kill most people. He was convinced until the day he died that they really WERE robots."

She slumped forward. "Anyway, the Spartans held the Covenant off long enough for some soldiers to pull him out of the battle and patch him up. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the Spartans standing triumphant over a bunch of Covvie corpses. He always wished he had a chance to thank them…."

The group went silent again. It was an inspiring story. Resolme then spoke up. "The Master Chief..." He was struggling to find the right words. Kyle didn't blame him. "He deserved better than this."

Kyle looked up to the group. "Hey! We're helping Humaity's greatest hero receive a proper burial. Isn't that something to be proud of? Once we find his body, we'll get back to Earth, he'll be buried with honors, there'll be a huge party and people will be happy. It's sad now, but it's a miracle to even have this moment."

"How do we know he's even in there?"

Everyone turned sharply to Beckett. She seemed a bit uncomfortable to suddenly be the center of attention, but she continued. "Not to be a downer, but it's possible that he never made it back to the ship. You all know the stories, so it's not like I'm talking crazy. All anyone had was the Arbiter's testimony to go off of. We could be going into an empty search."

Everyone else contemplated this. Kyle crossed his arms and stared at Beckett. "Then we'll still hold a memorial, with or without a body."

No one dared to speak against that. The Kodiak's pilot spoke through the intercom. "Approaching the _Forward Unto Dawn_ in one minute."

They all looked out the windows to see the ship fill their view. Kyle was still amazed at how cleanly the slipspace jump had cut into the _Dawn's_ hull. Here's hoping they wouldn't find the Chief like that. Kyle signaled everyone to put their helmets on as they landed.

The door slid open and Kyle jumped out first. He waited for his magnetic boots to adjust to the new surface as the rest of the squad exited to Kodiak. Zero-G was not his forte, but he had gotten used to it over time. As the magnetization finished, he pulled out his prototype M-96 Mattock and shone the gun's flashlight into the darkened room. The _Forward Unto Dawn_ was eerie, like a ghost from an age long past. There were little indications of electricity anywhere, save for maybe a few independently running systems and machines. Additional flashlights shone across the room, signaling that Kyle's group was ready.

As they approached the door leading out, Kyle motioned them to do a breach formation. It's not like they expected to find anything dangerous, but one could never be too cautious. With all the mysteries in the galaxy, La Rosa's alien parasites theory could be just as plausible as anything else.

Englebrektsson and Resolme took point as the rest of the squad waited behind them. Kyle gave the go-ahead and the two burst into the room with their guns raised. Trover and Wallis moved to the unoccupied spots by the doorway as they waited for the all clear. Nolan watched their flashlights scan the area thoroughly.

"Yep! Still empty," Englebrektsson cracked through the TEAMCOM. The rest of the squad proceeded inside. "You expecting some Jirhalenae pirates to jump out?"

"Not anymore," Nolan replied half-kidding.

"All teams, check in." Anderson's voice sounded through the TEAMCOM.

"Team Bravo, standing by," Kyle replied through the channel. He waited as the other five teams checked in.

"Roger that." Anderson continued. "We're starting now." The channel closed.

Kyle turned to the squad. "Alright, you heard the man." Kyle tapped into his omni-tool and set up his HUD to register squadmate status and map markers. "Englebrektsson, take Resolme, Trover and Wallis with you down that way." He pointed to their left. "The rest of us will search the other side. Don't stray too far, don't do anything stupid and don't get too misty eyed over all of this. Immediately report anything you find to me."

He closed his omni-tool. "Sound good?" The squad nodded. "Let's roll."

And so the search began. Kyle took the lead for his group down their side. He was still impressed how relatively intact everything was. Aside from the loose parts here and there, everything looked like it was fresh from the shipyards.

"Whoa! Look at this!" Michaels grabbed a rifle floating in the air. He held it up to show the others. "My God…this is a BR55HB SR Battle Rifle. They stopped making these decades ago." He folded his own gun and held the rifle in both hands. "It's never been fired."

"Pretty neat, Corporal." Kyle replied as they continued ahead.

"Feels like I'm walking in a museum!"

For the next forty or so minutes, Kyle and his team scoured their section of the ship. He marveled at how…archaic UNSC architecture was. Everything seemed a lot rougher in design, built to be sturdy rather than efficient. There were more corners, rough edges and blocky designs than you'd find on any Alliance ship. Tangilanu was probably freaking out over how inferior this all was. Still, this was what passed for cutting edge military hardware. If they hadn't started with this, none of their current tech would be around.

Michaels bypassed a locked door and led them into what appeared to be the crew quarters. The bunks were lined along the walls, with the rock hard mattresses still wedged inside the frames. Personal items and trinkets floated around the room. Kyle could only imagine how this could have been home for some poor marine stuck out in the traverse.

"Corporal!" Beckett snapped at Michaels as he reached out for several floating personal items.

"Sorry," Michaels apologized as he retracted his hand. "You have to admit, it's tempting."

Kyle opened a TEAMCOM channel to the other team leaders. "Tell me someone's found something."

"Negative."

"No."

"Not yet."

"Uh-uh."

"Nope."

Kyle closed the channel and led the team forward. He expected this to go quicker with all these marines at different parts of ship. Yet here they were still searching. He checked his HUD to see the rest of the squad still moving about on the opposite side. Maybe Beckett was right. Maybe they wouldn't—

"Sir." Beckett opened a private channel with Kyle over the TEAMCOM. Well, that was weirdly coincidental.

"Yeah?"

"Back on the Kodiak. I'm…sorry if I spoke out of line."

Kyle sighed. "No. It's fine. It…it probably needed to be said."

"I do hope we find him."

"I think we all do, Asha."

"Yeah…but I just can't stop thinking about it. Maybe the Chief was caught in one of those rooms where the ship was sliced and was sucked out of an oxygen vacuum. For all we know, his corpse is in some unknown quadrant floating by itself."

"Well…" He thought about it for a second. "Spartans are said to be lucky."

"As you've said many times before."

"Because it's true. I don't know how much that luck can last, but he did survive the entire Human-Covenant War. That has to say something."

The group exited the room. "Well…then maybe we're not thinking like a Spartan."

Kyle raised an eyebrow inside his helmet. "Huh?

"Yeah. I mean, we're searching all these crew quarters and auxiliary rooms. Maybe the Chief died in one of them, but I doubt that he would just keel over like that."

She had a good point. They entered into another hall. "He probably knew the layout of these ships. What would be the first place HE would go to?"

"Well, one of the teams has probably checked the comm room and I doubt he made it to the hangar." She paused for a beat. "If he expected rescue to arrive, it's possible he's-"

"Hey guys!"

The two of them turned to Michaels, who waved a hand to get their attention.

"I was just thinking," Michaels continued. "Why don't we try the cryo room?"

There was an awkward pause. Then Kyle nodded. "Uh…yeah. Good thinking, Corporal."

"I know, right! I figured the Master Chief was probably waiting for rescue, so what better place to wait?"

Kyle checked through his TEAMCOM. "Englebrektsson, have you guys found a cryo chamber anywhere?"

"No sir. You think the Chief is there?"

"Maybe. Keep your eyes peeled."

"Yes sir!"

Kyle closed the channel. "Lead the way, Corporal." Michaels had a bounce in his step at that order.

Beckett groaned into the private channel. "I thought of the cryo chamber first!"

"I know. We'll say you did in the report."

The search continued for another fifteen minutes as they kept a sharp eye out for any sort indication of a cryo room. So far, the search yielded nothing.

Kyle eyed his HUD and saw Englebrektsson's group getting closer to them. As they exited through another hallway, Kyle waved them down to regroup. Englebrektsson, Resolme and Wallis lowered their flashlights.

"Anything?" Kyle inquired. Englebrektsson shook her head. Kyle sighed. "Alright, I'll let the other team leaders know we're looking for it."

As he opened a channel, a voice called over the TEAMCOM. "Hey! Over here!"

The group double-timed it to Trover's position. The soldier was noticeably jittery as Kyle approached her. "What happened?"

"Look!" Trover flashed her light to a stairway nearby. On the wall, large white letters were written with arrows indicating their destination. Whatever the other words said was not important as Kyle spotted the thing they were looking for: CRYO CHAMBER.

Kyle had a huge smile under his helmet. He reached an arm out and gave a quick hug around Trover's waist. "You are beautiful!" He waved everyone over. "Down here!"

The squad quickly followed Kyle as they went down the stairs and into another floor. Their flashlights scoured the area. Everyone was starting to get a little excited. It was so close they could—

"There!" Michaels pointed to an entrance to their right. CRYO CHAMBER was written along the top. They found it!

The squad entered into the chamber. The place was….rather calm compared to everything they saw so far. It was fairly spacious compared the other parts of the ship. The color tone was lighter, due to a few lights and gadgets that had a bit of juice left. Cryo pods lined the bottom of the walls around the squad, save for a few that had broken off. It hadn't experienced a lot of damage at all.

The main focus of their attention was in the center of the back wall though. Englebrektsson moved a few of the floating pods with her biotics as they approached what appeared to be a still active pod. Frost from the cold covered the windows, blocking their view of the inside.

Kyle signaled the group to wait and moved to the window. Moment of truth! He wiped away some of the frost with his hand and shone his flashlight inside…

…And his jaw dropped. Laying motionless in the pod was a large green armored soldier with a yellow visor. Kyle had heard stories about Spartans, but he never imagined he would ever see a real one in his lifetime. The rest of the squad crowded behind him and peered in. A couple muffled gasps of surprise.

"Wow!" Michaels exclaimed in quiet excitement.

"The legend himself," Wallis said.

"You're seeing this too, right?" Resolme asked Trover.

"He's so…tall," Englebrektsson pointed out.

Kyle opened the TEAMCOM channel for Anderson and the team leaders. He looked down at the Chief. He seemed….peaceful. Kyle figured that Chief's vitals went out a while ago and he passed away in his sleep. No pain, no agony and no suffering. There were too many horror stories for the dead heroes of the Human-Covenant War. It was nice to know that the greatest hero went quietly into the night.

"This is Team Bravo. You reading me, Team Echo?"

"Team Echo here, go ahead." Anderson replied back.

Kyle turned to the group. "I think we've found him, guys. We've found the Chief."

_**Codex Entry (Alliance):** Forward Unto Dawn - History_

_A Charon-class light frigate of the United Nations Space Command's navy, the Forward Unto Dawn was assigned to the Home Fleet when the Covenant invaded Earth. It survived the initial wave of the attack and was made the remaining fleet's flagship under command of Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood. During the Battle of Tsavo, it was discovered that the Prophet of Truth was using a Forerunner Dreadnaught to excavate an ancient artifact buried under the region's surface. Admiral Hood led the Dawn and several cruisers to destroy Truth's Dreadnaught, but the attack proved ineffective. Truth's forces activated the artifact and entered the slipspace portal it opened._

_Admiral Hood's forces then learned of Truth's intent to use a device called The Ark on the other side of the portal, believed to be some form of super-weapon. Under his authorization, Commander Miranda Keyes, Spartan 117 "Master Chief" and the Halsey AI Cortana took charge of the Dawn and led a UNSC Task Force, alongside the Sanghelli Separatist Fleet of Retribution, into the portal to engage Truth's fleet. The Dawn also provided the manpower and heavy weaponry needed to defeat Truth's ground forces stationed on The Ark._

_Following the death of Commander Keyes and The Prophet of Truth, the remaining crew was evacuated while the Master Chief and the Sanghelli Arbiter prepped The Ark for termination. Sergeant Avery Johnson, who gave his life fighting the remaining Covenant forces, stationed the Dawn for extraction as the two heroes escaped. However, the portal to Earth collapsed on the Dawn as it fled, trapping the Master Chief and Cortana in the Ark's detonation. The two of them, along with any remaining crew, have been listed as missing in action with the remainder of the Dawn._

_The section of the Dawn that returned __with the Arbiter _to Earth is currently on display at Earth's War History Museum.

…

**On to Part 2!**


	4. Exhuming the Hushed Casket (Part 2)

** So now we have found The Master Chief. What happens next? Let's find out, shall we?**

…

No one wasted a second once Michaels set the coordinates for the chambers. One by one, the teams found their way to the chamber, each trying to get a look into the Chief's pod. It felt like some kind of worship, with every person taking a turn to bow to the idol. Kyle understood the excitement. He's had a moment to diffuse the shock of the scene, but for everyone else this was still fresh. It was a discovery as big as the Prothean ruins that launched their technology forward hundreds of years.

La Rosa and Tangilanu rounded the corner with their squad. Kyle went to check on them, only to see a large duffel bag full of stuff slung over Tangilanu's shoulder. Kyle could make out the shape of rifle barrels on one side. He stared down Tangilanu.

"What?" Tangilanu defended himself. "We found the armory."

"It's not like the Alliance won't have fifty extra copies of those guns to salvage," La Rosa added.

Kyle held in a sigh and motioned them into the chamber. He'd deal with their looting later. Right now, they had bigger things to worry about.

Anderson's group rounded the corner from a nearby hall. Kyle was about to go over to greet him too…until he saw what was behind him. Following Anderson's group was a squad of Turian marines!

Kyle reached out and grabbed Anderson's shoulder, quickly brushing past the Turians. He opened up a private channel. "Geez! Who invited them?"

"I did," Anderson replied without missing a beat.

"What? Why?"

"They helped find the ship, Kyle. And they volunteered to help find the Chief. I'm not one to turn away the people responsible for this moment."

"But—"

"There's no 'but' to discuss here. I expect you to play nice with them. Otherwise, you can wait outside." Anderson closed the channel and followed the Turians into the chamber. Kyle grumbled. Anderson had to be doing this just to bug Kyle….right? Whatever the case, Anderson held the cards. Kyle took a calming breath and returned to the chamber. Looks like he would have to "play nice."

There was still enough room for people to walk about, but most everyone kept their distance from the pod. Anderson led the one of the Turians to the pod, while Michaels went to working on the pod's controls. Kyle could practically hear Tangilanu's thoughts of jealousy that Michaels was picked to help with the pod. To be fair, Michaels was the better technician. Kyle found his group close by the scene and rejoined them. At least they were a good distance from the Turians.

"By the Spirits…" The Turian with Anderson exclaimed. "…when you said he was a super-soldier, you sure weren't kidding. He's the size of a Krogan."

"He's not just bigger," Anderson added, "But he's also stronger and faster than the average human.

"And if you believe some stories, luckier," La Rosa chimed in. Tangilanu gave a nudge to his side. Strangely, La Rosa sounded genuinely serious with that comment. Perhaps being in the presence of a hero softens your ability to tell jokes.

Anderson and the Turian continued to discuss about the Chief as La Rosa opened a private channel with the team. "So….congrats guys." He still sounded a little bummed that Tangilanu and him weren't there for the discovery.

"Hey," Kyle replied, "Consider that history books often forget the specifics for events like this. They just know that a squad of Alliance soldiers found the pod. Whose to say you weren't here?"

"Yeah," Englebrektsson joined in. "If you're really nice, I'll tell them you thought of looking for the chamber."

"I already called that one," Beckett replied. "So how about we say were with the lieutenant when you checked the pod?"

Kyle chuckled. "Sure, why not? I'll say you held the flashlight when I confirmed it was him."

"…sweet!" La Rosa seemed pleased with that.

"Yeah, that's cool. I don't need any credit, guys," Tangilanu said sarcastically.

"Ah don't be greedy," La Rosa joked, "I already decided to say you were the one who saw that the pod was active."

"Heh!" Tangilanu laughed with his deep Tongan laugh. "Alright then."

Kyle smiled. At least they were all willing to pat each other on the back for stuff that Kyle mostly did.

"Alright. Let's see if we can't unhook this pod. It's time this hero came home." Anderson's words got everyone's attention. "Michaels, think you can do it?"

Michaels nodded to Anderson. "Sure." He activated his omni-tool. "The ship's systems aren't based on Prothean tech, but they ARE very primitive."

Every second that passed on Michaels tapping away at that omni-tool felt like an eternity. Tangilanu groaned into the private channel. "How hard is it to check a cryo pod?"

"It's over a hundred years old, bro," La Rosa replied. "An omni-tool can only do so much. It's like trying to fit a square block into a circular peg."

"Yeah, yeah. A better technician could—"

"Shut up, guys!"

Resolme had been laser focused on the scene the whole time, so it was surprising that he would speak out so sharpy. Everyone kept quiet….

…for a few seconds. Out of the corner of Kyle's visor, he could see Tangilanu looking over at something nearby. He turned to the squad. "Hey guys! I—"

Resolme gave him a sharp stare. Rather than continue, Tangilanu moved to a terminal nearby and started examining it curiously.

"Need to find the what?" Anderson asked.

Michaels shook his head and tapped at his tool again. "That can't be right…..Holy crap…"

Kyle could hear whispering amongst the crowd, even though he wasn't paying attention to the specific words. All he could focus on was what Michaels meant by that.

"What? Is something wrong?" Anderson asked concerned.

"Uh…I think that depends on what your definition of 'wrong' is, sir." Michaels looked up from his tool. Everyone else's eyes fell upon Michaels, waiting for an answer.

And then he dropped the bomb.

"He's still alive."

If sound could be heard in the vacuum of space, Kyle would have heard a pin drop. No one even breathed as they took a moment to let that sink in.

"What do you mean alive?" Anderson asked.

"According to my omni-tool, all the Chief's vital signs are still good." Michaels held up his tool to show.

Anderson went to check. Kyle's private channel perked up again. "God in heaven…" Resolme said exasperated.

"I know. Seriously…" Beckett was struggling to find words to reply.

Kyle didn't really know what to say. Alive? The Chief was still alive? How? Even at the peak of cryo technology, it couldn't preserve anyone for THAT long! The hushed whispers of the other soldiers around them continued to echo through Kyle's TEAMCOM as he pondered this.

Then Tangilanu spoke up again in a hushed but urgent whisper. "Guys…guys!" They ignored him. Kyle could hear that Tangilanu was not pleased at being ignored with whatever he was going to talk about…

…so Tangilanu decided to bypass the chain of command. "Sir, I've found something."

Anderson diverted his attention to Tangilanu, along with everyone else. "What is it?"

"It's a data terminal of some kind,"

Anderson hurried over as Tangilanu ran diagnostics on the terminal. "Can you get anything from it?"

"Maybe…" Tangilanu replied as he tapped away at the terminal. He was struggling a little. Kyle smirked. So it wasn't as easy as Tangilanu thought. "Okay, I'm in. Let's see what we got here…"

As he pressed one more button, blue light materialized from the top of the terminal. Tangilanu and Anderson backed up as the light reconfigured into the shape of a holographic woman. Kyle took one look at the woman…and then it hit him. If people were stunned by the Chief's discovery, then they were about to be more stunned when they realized whom this was.

"Oh good. Rescue," the woman said cheerfully. No one dared say a word. This day kept getting more surreal with each new reveal. The holographic woman seemed a bit concerned by the silence. "What?"

Anderson and Tangilanu looked to each other, then back at the woman. Anderson took a step forward while Tangilanu took a step back to the squad.

"Are you…Cortana?" Anderson inquired.

The woman smiled and puffed her chest out formal style. "UNSC Artificial Intelligence serial number CTN 0452-9. At your service."

"Did the hologram just say she was an AI?" Resolme commented over the TEAMCOM.

"You're hearing is top notch, Resolme." La Rosa replied.

"No way!" Englebrektsson said with some glee. "Lieutenant, what do you think?"

Kyle was too distracted to respond. If this thing was an AI, the Council was going to have a fit. Part of the treaty the humans agreed to when the First Contact War ended was that they would give up the two most potentially dangerous tools in their arsenal: slipspace and AI's. Slipace Kyle could see some reason for banning, even if it was not a rational one. AI's were a different story. It stemmed from something about how they were not trusted because they were an imitation of intelligence and life. Also, apparently there had been some issue with sentient AI's went all sci-fi movie on their creators and tried to wipe them out. A shame really!

This was something all together new though. This was THE AI people remembered from the war. Cortana was as famous as the Chief. Surely the Alliance could argue some kind of case for her to be kept under Alliance care.

"Don't sugar-coat it. How long?" Cortana addressed to Anderson hesitantly.

"To put it bluntly, well over a century," Anderson replied.

"A hundred and thirty one years, to be exact," Michaels added.

Cortana seemed to be very surprised by this news for at least a second. She quickly calmed down though and turned to the Spartan's pod. "Is Chief alright?"

"According to my tech expert, his life signs are stable," Anderson answered.

Then Cortana said what everyone else was thinking.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Wake him up."

Full attention diverted back to Anderson as everyone waited for a response. Turns out, it was a typically political response. "Er…well…"

"Weeelllll?" Cortana clearly was not amused.

And here Kyle didn't expect the Turian to come in and get Anderson's back. But he did. "We came on board this ship looking for the Chief's _remains_. We thought that after over a century in cryo-sleep he'd be dead. While it's nice to see he's not…it complicates things a little."

Kyle wasn't exactly sure how it was too complicated. Sure, it would have to manage the publicity that would follow the discovery. And acclimatize the Chief to modern times. And explain Cortana's existence to the Council. And…ok, so it was a bit more complicated than he thought.

Anderson then passed through the crowd as he mentioned something about contacting his superior. So, Hackett had the final say on the situation. All they could do right now was wait. Well, that and talk to Cortana.

Cortana examined the Turian who spoke to her. "So…new aliens, huh? Not Covenant, I hope."

"No," the Turian replied. "Not Covenant. We're called Turians. Officially, we're allies of humanity."

"And unofficially?"

"Well…"the Turian stumbled. "There's always some degree of tension in inter-species affairs. Some are more severe than others."

"You don't know the half of it," Cortana relied. Kyle smiled at the comment. She was starting off good in his books so far.

Cortana continued to interrog…inquire about the Turians until Anderson retuned from his little chitchat with the brass. He approached Cortana. "I've just gone over it with my superior, Admiral Hackett. And he seems to be all for the idea." He then turned to Michaels. "Wake him up."

Michaels seemed surprised by this. "What, you mean right here, right now?"

"No time like the present," Anderson replied.

"About time," Cortana said happily.

More hushed whispers were heard as Michaels prepared to open the chamber and Anderson continued to talk to Cortana. Kyle hoped someone was recording this moment through their video feed. This was something that should be shown in history vids down the line.

Michaels paused his omni-tool for a moment. "Something wrong, Michaels," Anderson asked him.

Michaels took a deep breath as he shook off his nervous laughter. "I just realized…we're brining back the greatest hero in Human history. We're MAKING history right now. I…I need a moment to take this in."

"We haven't got all day. Sometime in the NEXT a hundred and thirty one years would be nice, thank you." Cortana pretty much spoke Kyle's mind at that moment.

"Right, right. Sorry." Michaels continued the process. "Okay. I don't have a drumroll, so a countdown will have to do. Cracking open the pod in 3…2…1…." And then he pressed one last button…

….

The ride on the Kodiak back to the _Mt. Everest_ was one of the longest Kyle could remember. He had taken off his helmet because he felt hot, but he knew that was from his own nervousness than actual heat. He wiped his brow quickly as he soaked in the moment. Beckett, Anderson, Tangilanu and him were all sharing the same shuttle with the freshly awoken Spartan.

He knew it was rude to stare at the Chief, but he couldn't help it. This was him! THE legend in the flesh! Inexplicable to science or technology, he had been preserved in that chamber for a hundred and thirty one years to be awaken at this point. And Kyle was sitting right across from him.

The Chief looked at Kyle's armor and nodded towards something on his suit.

Kyle checked nervously, spotting the insignia of the ODST corp.

"ODST?" The Chief inquired

Kyle nodded back at the Chief.

"Glad to see some things stayed the same," the Chief replied. And that was pretty much all that was said for the entire ride.

The Kodiak arrived at the _Mt. Everest's _hangar and the side door slid open. Anderson and the Spartan exited first with the rest following behind. Everyone in the hangar was staring at the group. Kyle felt less pressure knowing the stares were for the Chief, but it was still awkward.

Anderson turned to Kyle. "I'll take the Chief to meet the admiral. Make sure Ralston knows we'll be leaving soon."

"What now?" Kyle responded confused.

"We said we were going to bring the Chief home. That means all of us. Hackett will mobilize the Fleet ASAP."

"Oh….uh, yes sir."

Before Anderson went back to the Chief, he added one more thing. "Oh, and I think it would be good for all of you to stick around on the _Mt. Everest _for the ride. The Admiral will want to speak with all the marines involved."

Kyle nodded and Anderson led the Chief to the hangar's exit. After a bit more hushed silence, people started talking again and resuming their work. Kyle moved back to his squad, who were all busy discussing what just happened.

"So you guys found the armory?" Englebrektsson addressed to La Rosa.

"Well, it clearly saw better days but yeah. I'm telling you, Tangilanu's head was spinning when he saw all that old crap."

"It's not crap!" Tangilanu interrupted. "That stuff is mint condition authentic UNSC weaponry. Do you know what someone would pay for something like that?"

"You're not seriously selling that stuff are you?" Englebrektsson nodded to Tangilanu's duffle bag.

"No way. That's going back to my family's collection. I just need a good way to send it to Nuku'alofa safely. I don't trust some Kig'Yar at a post office to keep their fingers off this."

"There may be a solution to that," Kyle joined in. "We're heading back to Earth."

And that was yet another bit of exciting news for the squad's exciting day.

"For real?" Beckett said surprised.

"Yup. Anderson wants everyone to stick around so the Chief makes it to Earth in one piece. Nothing better than having the Alliance's best fleet as an escort."

"Whoa!" Tangilanu was elated. "Man, I can't wait to tell my family about finding-"

"No!" Kyle stopped Tangilanu's thought. He then rephrased himself. "We can let people back on Earth know that we are coming. I'm absolutely certain though that Anderson a hundred percent does not want knowledge of the Chief's existence getting out."

"What?" La Rosa complained. "Why wouldn't-?"

"Let the lieutenant talk," Beckett interrupted.

"Thank you, Asha." Kyle continued. "The Chief just woke up from one of the largest naps the galaxy's ever seen. Everything's new to him. Can you imagine how strange that feels? Now add to that all of us gawking at him on the ship."

"You were doing that too," Tangilanu added.

"And I wasn't excusing myself. So, I think the last thing the Chief needs is a whole galaxy swarming around him with their admiration, fancy gadgets and new ways of living. Just think of it like finding some guy on a desert island. We'll…give him some time to adjust. Understood?"

The squad hesitated for a moment, but everyone nodded.

"Good." Kyle straightened himself up and put his hands on his hips. "Still, I hope someone recorded all of that. Doubt the Alliance will allow us to access the helmet feeds and it's not like we'll ever have a day like this again."

"Actually…" Everyone turned to Resolme as he took off his helmet and removed a small device on the side. He held it out for everyone to see. It was a detachable mini camera. "No one said we couldn't record it, so…I did."

So that's why Resolme was so focused the whole time!

"No way!" Beckett said surprised.

"Excellent!" Tangilanu added.

"Look at the greenhorn go!" La Rosa patted Resolme on the back.

Kyle reached out and closed Resolme's hand around the camera. "Don't let anyone see that! You want Anderson or Hackett to ride our asses for this?"

Resolme looked surprised…until Kyle checked to see if anyone was listening and added, "Make copies for us." Everyone nodded excitedly. At least they would have something to watch on their way to Earth…

…

The next few days were interesting to say in the least. The only thing people seemed to be talking about were the Chief, the War and going back to Earth. It was understandable; since it's not that often you are making history.

The hardest thing for people to do was not stare at the Chief as he walked around the ship. He was particularly mobile for experiencing such culture shock. Other marines would gossip about how he spent his first day examining all the different parts of the ship. He didn't really talk to anyone, but just having him around excited anyone nearby him.

Kyle was just trying to enjoy being on the _Mt. Everest_ for this long. The Fleet had begun traveling to Earth by the time everything was all sorted out and the brass wanted everyone from the search party aboard. The process was pretty painless. Most of it was Hackett and Anderson discussing the event, the implication of it and how they were going to handle things once they arrived on Earth. They did take some time to pull aside Kyle and the soldiers who personally found the Chief for additional questioning and testimonies. They just wanted some additional facts on top of having them agree to a non-disclosure for the more sensitive details. All the strictly political stuff.

Kyle didn't let that bother him. Even though they were away from the _Tokyo_ and Ralston, he treated the squad's time about the _Mt. Everest_ like any other day. That's just how the ODST does things.

The squad lingered around the firing range as they finished their morning exercises. No one else was around, so they had a bit more freedom to do things their own way. Tangilanu tinkered with a few weapon mods for his Firestorm shotgun. Beckett did some basic push-ups and exercises. La Rosa helped Englebrektsson practice her L3 implant biotics for shield strength and throwing speed. So that gave Kyle and Resolme some time to work on the range itself.

"Ok, like I said. Take a deep breath, keep your eyes focused for the target and don't jump." Kyle said to Resolme as he approached the firing instructor. Kyle was used to walking all over the firing instructor on the _Tokyo_, but this guy was a bit more assertive. Kyle had a chance to talk to him when they first arrived on the _Mt. Everest_ and they managed to work out a good rapport for the training exercises. "Give him two this time."

The instructor raised up two holographic dummies for Resolme. Without missing a beat, Resolme unfolded his pistol and fired at the two targets. The first one he hit in the chest, just a bit off from the heart. The second one, though, he caught right through the nose. A killing shot!

Kyle gave a light clap. "Very good!" Resolme smile contently as he folded his pistol back. "A lot can change the calmer you are. Practice that a few more times and you'll be a regular Clint Eastwood."

"Can't I be Lee Van Cleef instead?" Resolme joked back.

"No. Eastwood shot him dead before he could even aim, so you want to be Eastwood."

As Resolme positioned himself again, Kyle's earpiece sounded off. "Nolan." It was Anderson.

Kyle put his fingers to his earpiece. "Nolan here. How can I help?"

"The Chief wants to use the firing range for some practice. Think you can clear a spot?"

Practice, huh? Looks like the Chief was adapting well enough. "Sure thing. Nolan out." Kyle moved to the center of the room. "Alright everyone. The VIP is coming in for a visit. Let's give him some space." The group shifted over to the farther half of the room. Not that the Chief needed a whole lot of space, but they weren't expecting the Chief to be the only one coming in. The firing instructor seemed all too excited for the Chief to arrive. Kyle wasn't surprised since he couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to help a hero fire 27th century weaponry.

To Kyle's surprise, it was just the Chief and Anderson who walked in. Anderson must have some sort of personal repellant to keep the fanboys away. The squad and the instructor saluted as the two of them entered.

"At ease," Anderson said. The squad resumed their work as Anderson and the Chief talked to the instructor. The man was clearly ecstatic while talking to the Chief. As Kyle approached Beckett, he saw the instructor ask Chief to pose for a holo.

"You'd think a celebrity like him would have more of an entourage," Kyle mentioned to Beckett as she continued her crunches.

"Anderson or the Chief?" She asked smugly.

"Both."

"Well, maybe they took your piece of advice to heart too. Like you said, we have to give the Chief his space. Especially with the whole…" Beckett trailed off, but Kyle knew what she was about to say. It was only a while ago that Hackett told everyone that Cortana had been decommissioned due to rampancy. Kyle still couldn't believe it. There was no case brought up before the Council or the Alliance. To be fair, rampancy was legitimate grounds for AI deletion. Cortana looked fine when they found her though. Hard to believe she would deteriorate to rampancy so quickly. Tangilanu or Michaels could have tried finding a way to help her. Then again, a hundred and thirty one years was a long time to still be around. Well, at least she still existed in their secret video footage.

"It's a bitch, isn't it?" Beckett continued. "Losing the only connection to your former life."

"Yeah…" Kyle replied. "It really is."

"Tangilanu's been pouting a little since he heard it. He did find her after all. I'm sure he would have loved a further study on her AI core to-"

Kyle half listened as he watched the firing instructor show the Master Chief a few of the basics for their weapons. The Chief seemed pretty chill with everything. Or as much as he could tell from the little body language the Chief communicated.

Beckett stood up behind him. "Hypnotizing, isn't he?"

"Huh?"

"The Chief. You haven't stopped watching him since he entered. You're making me jealous."

Kyle chuckled. "Nah, it's not that. It's just…" He thought for the right word to say. "…interesting." He should have thought of a better word.

"I understand. We have a man who fought a genocidal alien race, explored parts of the galaxy we never knew existed, saved more lives than the rest of us combined and won a war that was almost certainly a loss just blithely strolling around the ship."

"You make it sound even cooler with all those details."

"I'm a cool person. We do stuff like that."

"Don't I know it?" He smiled.

"Plus, I don't want to ruin your man crush!"

"You wish!" Kyle teased. "Speaking of, you ever grow up watching those old vids as a kid? You know, the documentaries and recordings of the Spartans."

"All the time! The Spartans were my heroes when I joined the ranks. I was eager for a chance to become 'Sparatan tough'?" She was referring to a phrase coined after the war to describe the best kind of anything. "How about you?"

Kyle shook his head. "My grandfather told me all the stories I needed to hear. Pretty intense stuff!"

Just then, Anderson waved over to Kyle. "Kyle, come over here."

Kyle's eyes shot up. He turned to Beckett, who looked just as surprised. She pushed him forward lightly. "Well, don't just stand there. The captain asked for you."

Beckett went to help out Resolme as Kyle met up with Anderson and the group. "Yes sir?" Kyle inquired.

"We need someone with a hard suit to help with this." Anderson answered. "Could you turn around please?"

So Kyle was a modeling dummy now? Oh well. Kyle turned his back to the group.

"Alright," the firing instructor continued. "Now, a standard marine hard suit comes with five weapon slots. There are slots for a sniper rifle and assault rifle on the shoulders, a shotgun by the lower back and two side arms on the hips. Most marines will pick one sidearm or the other when going into battle, but a few will occasionally deck themselves out with full gear. Lieutenant, could you demonstrate unfolding an assault rifle?"

Kyle picked up an Avenger assault rifle on a table nearby. He quickly attached it to his right shoulder slot, the gun folding neatly into place. He then demonstrated the proper way of unfolding it by grabbing the handle at the end and entering an attack stance as it unfolded in his hands.

"Good," the firing instructor said.

"Seems pretty efficient," the Chief commented.

"It is," Anderson replied. "Kyle and I were around before this type of hard suit became common place, so we know what it's like to lug our weapons two at a time."

"Always good to be reminded how old I am," Kyle joked. Nobody laughed. Kyle could hear the joke fall on its face. He set the Avenger rifle back down.

The firing instructor continued. "As you may have noticed, our guns have no ammunition clips. Some time after we discovered mass effect technology, Alliance engineers saw the potential that its ability for particle acceleration could have for modern weaponry. They saw that self-contained mass effect field could cut a piece of metal the size of a sand grain and shoot it at speeds much more lethal than gunpowder. Once it was field tested, we have used it ever since, Not only is it a better killing tool than gunpowder guns, but it also saves a soldier time that would be spent on reloading or finding extra ammo."

"There has to be a catch," the Chief inquired.

"There always is." The instructor looked to Kyle again. "Lieutenant."

Kyle unfolded his pistol and showed the heat gauge. "The downside is that all the velocity stuff makes the guns damn hot. Shoot it too long, they completely overheat and you may as well be firing blanks. You have to let it cool down for…oh, three or four seconds before you can shoot again."

"So you'd emphasize controlled bursts over blind firing?" the Chief asked.

"More or less. I usually go for single or limited burst fire guns myself."

"Want to demonstrate, lieutenant?" Anderson asked Kyle.

"Sure." Kyle moved to the line by the range. He could see his squad pausing whatever they were doing to watch.

The instructor raised two dummies down the range. "Feel free to fire when you're—"

Before the instructor could finish, Kyle stretched out his arm and fired. A red light flashed right between the eyes of the dummy. Kyle twirled the pistol and folded it back to its slot.

"Well…" the instructor continued. "Evidently, the lieutenant is a crack shot." The Chief picked up a Predator pistol on the table and stepped up to the range. "Feel free to take your time. This may not be what you're-"

Before he could finish, the Chief fired the pistol. He also hit the dummy square between the eyes.

Kyle was surprised at the Chief's accuracy as everyone else. His first shot in the new millennium and he hit the target clearly between the eyes. Even for a Spartan, that had to be just beginner's luck.

The Chief turned to the instructor. "A pistol's a pistol."

"Right…of course." The instructor replied. "Well then. Shall we try for something a little faster then?"

Anderson started to intervene. "I don't think we need to do that right—"

"No please. Let's try something faster." Kyle responded, now intrigued to test the Chief's aim further. Anderson didn't look particularly pleased with that remark.

"Might as well," the Chief added.

"Alright then," the instructor continued. He raised three more dummies. "Let's see how fast you can hit those."

Chief aimed and fired in rapid succession. All head shots, all perfectly timed. Kyle was… concerned now. The Chief was learning really quickly. Sure, he was a Spartan and one of the best soldiers who ever lived, but no learning curve? Didn't being frozen for a century slow his limbs down even a little? Kyle had to practice over and over again to get that many head shots in a row. He crossed his arms and looked down range.

"That's good for now," Anderson said. "We should move-"

"Make it five!" Kyle said to the instructor.

Anderson was even more annoyed now. The instructor just seemed confused.

"Make it five," Kyle said. "And give me five too. See how well the Chief does against another person." He turned to Anderson and the instructor. "He can do it."

"Ok…." The instructor raised five dummies in a row for both Kyle and the Chief. Kyle's squad was now fully focused on the scene. "See how fast you can hit five targets in a row."

Kyle was going to show the Chief how it was done now. Kyle pulled his pistol from his hip and approached the line. The Chief lowered his pistol and the two turned to each other. Ok, that was intimidating! It's weird having your competition stare at you when you couldn't tell what their expression was. Unfortunately for the Chief, Kyle wasn't firing from the hip this time. He shouldn't try to one up the Chief, but something in him compelled him to. Call it stupidity, but Kyle was going to prove what an expert quick draw shooter could do.

"Fire when ready," the instructor said.

The two of them turned back to the range and lifted their guns. Kyle mentally counted the targets as he fired headshots at them.

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR…

"Very good, Chief!"

…..that didn't sound like a five. Kyle turned to see what the instructor referred to. All of the Chief's dummies had glowing red spots on their heads. Kyle didn't even get to shoot his last one. He didn't know what to say.

Kyle tried to recompose himself as he turned to the Chief. "Um…g-good shooting."

"You too," the Chief replied as he returned back to Anderson and the instructor. Kyle could see Anderson's disapproving look before the captain focused back on the Chief.

Kyle just stood there for a moment, not really sure what to feel. The Chief beat him. Kyle had practiced with this pistol for years now. He was a crack shot. He could beat pretty much anyone at a quick draw on the _Tokyo_. And here, the Chief beat him his first time firing a gun in a hundred years. And Kyle couldn't ask for a rematch.

Kyle moved to the squad. They seemed unsure what to say. Kyle didn't want them to say anything. "Finish up your routines and return to your posts," he mumbled as he left the range.

How much could the Chief have beaten him by? Half a second? A third of a second? It didn't seem possible. He did though. As Kyle mindlessly walked down the hall, all he could think about was that moment. There's not exactly an achievement for having your butt kicked by a living legend at your own game…

…

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Each of the five dummies flashed red lights on their foreheads. Kyle stopped the timer on his omni-tool. It was good. He could do that faster though. The Chief could do it faster.

It was late, or at least late by the official clock the crew worked on. Most everyone else was either working or sleeping to prepare for their next shift. Not Kyle though. He had all night to practice this. No one else was around to say no. He twirled his pistol and folded it back up. After resetting the timer, Kyle whipped out the pistol again.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Red lights on all the foreheads again. Kyle folded his gun and checked the timer. He was….slower this time! What? Was he getting tired? He couldn't be. He had only been doing this for a little while. He reset the timer and whipped the pistol out again.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Four headshots…and a miss! Kyle was stunned. He missed hitting a stationary dummy! How does that even happen? He never missed when he used…!

Kyle reset the timer, switched to his synthetic hand and fired again!

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

All headshots and all faster than the previous times. That didn't help him at all. He didn't want that hand to be faster! He used his right hand on purpose to prove he didn't need to use that hand! It was cheating! Master Chief didn't need a prosthetic to…

Kyle's synthetic hand started to hurt again. "Motherfu…!" He tossed the pistol to the ground and rubbed it. This was stupid. Prosthetics don't hurt! They don't have any nerves for pain. So why was his hand hurting? It didn't make sense.

He leaned next to a wall and groaned. He tried to think of something to calm him down.

"That's too nice a pistol to just chuck like that."

Kyle jumped to see Beckett with her arms crossed standing by the entrance. She didn't seem angry though. Just…worried. Ok, maybe a little upset too.

Kyle ignored her and picked up the pistol, folding it back to its slot. He approached the firing range and opened the timer again.

Beckett walked up next to him. "So you're just going to ignore me?"

"Yup," Kyle fired five more rounds and checked his time again.

"You can talk about it, you know."

"There's nothing to talk about. Everything's fine." He drew and fired again.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

"There is nothing the hell wrong with me. I'm absolutely dandy, thank you ma'am." He reset the time and raised his pistol again.

Beckett grabbed the omni-tool arm and shut the timer off. Kyle was about to lift his hand, but stopped himself. "Don't…touch…that!" Kyle said with a glare of controlled anger.

Beckett stared back at him with matched intensity. They held it like this for a while. It was clear that they could do this all night if given the opportunity. Kyle wasn't angry at her. He just wanted to be left alone. Why did she have to try and be the better person right now?

Kyle finally broke the glare and groaned to himself as he kicked at that Avenger rifle he had set on the floor. Great, Kyle thought, Beckett thinks your just some psycho now.

"So the Chief beat you," Beckett said to break the silence. "You going to cry about it?"

Kyle tried to simmer down to talk to her. "I…i-it's not that."

"Then what? What's putting your panties in a wad?"

Kyle turned to her. "I haven't lost a competition like that in years."

"So you're just being a sore loser."

"No. Well…yes. I mean…" He wanted to say what he was thinking, but he didn't know how. "I've been shooting targets for…my whole career. I've used mass effect weapons since they came into production. I've used this gun thousands of times to hit a target. And that's just with my good hand. Yet, the Chief comes in and 'Presto!' He can shoot faster than me with a weaker gun and no practice."

He shrugged his shoulders and turned his back to Beckett. "So what? Is everything I've taught bullshit now? If I can't shoot faster than a guy on his first try, what good am I to help anyone else?"

Beckett moved behind Kyle and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're NOT a Spartan, Kyle! Hell, you shouldn't be! You're ODST! Toughest soldiers in the Alliance." Kyle remained silent. "You don't need augmentations or genetic modifications to be that good. So the Chief showed you up on his first try? Big deal! You're still faster than anyone else I know and you do it with 'good old-fashioned human ingenuity, strength and reflexes',"

Damn! Now she was quoting his words.

"Yeah it stings, doesn't it?" Beckett said as she enjoyed wielding the sword of irony. "Just…forget about it. Let the Chief be the superhero. He operates in his own league. You be the best NORMAL quick draw expert out there.

Kyle turned back to Beckett. "Are you satisfied with just being normal?"

"Sure. Why aren't you? I'd rather have built my expertise on my own than be given superpowers by someone else."

Kyle sighed. Damn her for being so logical and understanding.

"You know I'm right," she said.

"Yeah…yeah, I know."

"Good." She gave him a friendly jab to the shoulder. "Now get some sleep. Our shift will start before you know it."

The two of them started to head to the entrance…until Kyle turned back to grab his pistol. "Maybe I can just do one more-"

"Uh-uh! Nope!" She beat him to it and folded it to her side slot. She wrapped an arm around his and led him out. "Just be glad I stopped Anderson before he came here too. I know how much you hate that…"

…

_**Codex Entry (Alliance):** The Battle of the Ark_

_During the Covenant's invasion of Earth, a Forerunner Dreadnaught led by the Covenant's Prophet of Truth crash-landed in the African region of Tsavo. The ship, accompanied later by a Covenant armada, began excavating an ancient portal hidden underground. UNSC forces attempted to thwart the excavation, but Truth activated the artifact which opened a slipspace portal. As his fleet entered the portal, a CCS-Class Covenant battle cruiser arrived on Earth bearing the parasitic life form known as The Flood. The Sanghelli Separatists soon came to help repel the Flood, glassing the surface of Tsavo to prevent their spread._

_It was then learned that Truth's forces went in search of a super-weapon called the Ark, believed to have enough power to finish Truth's quest for human extermination. A UNSC Task Force and the Sanghelli Separatist Fleet of Retribution launched a counter-attack through the portal to defeat Truth and stop the threat of the Ark. In the ensuing conflict, Truth's fleet was destroyed and the Prophet himself was slain by the Sanghelli Arbiter._

_The battle was not without its casualties. Many marines were killed in the fight with Truth's ground forces, including the Task Force's Commander Miranda Keyes. The Sanghelli Separatists also lost a number of their soldiers and cruisers defeating Truth's fleet. As the remaining forces evacuated the Ark, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn remained behind with Spartan 117 "Master Chief," the Halsey AI Cortana, the Sanghelli Arbiter and Sergeant Avery Johnson to destroy the weapon. They were successful, but at a high price. Sergeant Johnson was killed in action and the portal collapsed during the Dawn's escape, trapping the Master Chief and Cortana on the other side. Only the Arbiter returned to relay the story._

_Many details of the Ark's nature, how the Flood came to Earth and specifics pertaining to the Battle of the Ark remain unknown or classified by the Office of Naval Intelligence._

…

**There you have it. This part of the story is now done. I hope to have the next section out a lot sooner, so stay tuned. In the meantime though, leave your comments, check out my Walking Dead fanfiction, check out DinoJake's original story or do whatever you please! Thank you so much for all of your support!**


	5. Some Time Apart (Part 1)

**I confess. I have been cheating on Last of an Ancient Breed with my Walking Dead fanfic. It was very alluring and I couldn't resist its advances. That one is going very strong though with six chapters so far, so if you want to see more awesome goodness check out A Life of Service on The Walking Dead tab in the game section. Or check through my profile!**

**But now I'm back….from outer space….eh screw it!**

**So, this may just be one of my most ambitious chapters to date. Remember how the last four chapters have mostly been about Kyle and his perspective? Well…I decided to peek into some of the other squad mates' thoughts. It is still a work in progress to explore them as characters, but I figured I'd start somewhere to get them going. Sometimes there is no better way to develop than to keep writing!**

**The one drawback to this ambition? The chapter ended up being FREAKING LONG! So…to make it easier on the reader, I have broken it up into three parts instead of two. I figured it would help pacing as well. On the plus side too, it makes up for the months I haven't posted in some way. Three chapters for each month without an update! Hehe!**

**As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome. And as always, my continued thanks are to be given to DinoJake for his terrific source story The Last Spartan as well as his reviews for my drafts (heaven knows I would have made several huge mistakes if I didn't have him check my drafts first).**

**So let us now commence with this epic tale. In the previous chapters, we retold the Chief's awakening from the perspective of Kyle's squad. Now they are returning to Earth to bring him home. The story will diverge from familiar ground to cover new areas of the universe's lore and the details of Kyle's squad. Hope you enjoy it!**

0845 Hours, February 22nd, 2683

SSV Mt. Everest

Orbiting Earth

Sol System, Forerunner Cluster

Earth: the first frontier. The one place Humanity was guaranteed a home no matter what. The place any human could feel welcomed in spite their background. The place where Humanity started and, preferably not anytime soon, where they will likely end. There's just no other place like it.

Kyle decided to stop himself before his thoughts turned into a travelogue. It was hard not to though. Being stuck on a sterile space ship for months on end can make a man nostalgic for good old-fashioned Earth soil and it's been too long since he experienced that. It only seemed fitting that he was about to get some make-up time.

He continued to stare out the portside window in the observation room as the SSV Mt. Everest and the Fifth Fleet made the last leg of their journey. This wasn't the first time he got an eyeful of the planet from space, but the sight never ceased to amaze him. The oceans were massive and blue, hugging around the landmasses like watery blankets. The clouds swirled and spun across the atmosphere, aimlessly wandering to new places to protect from the sun. And even though one could see more lights on Earth from space than in any point in history, the greens and browns of the continents were still just as vivid as before. Even all the satellites, space stations and cruisers orbiting the planet were a pleasant detail. He loved his home planet.

He did suddenly realize that he had lost track of how long he had been standing in this spot. Part of that was from switching off his comm. link to not ruin the moment. Yet he didn't feel like leaving any time soon, even if he did know the time. A soldier needed some "me time" even on a military ship. He was sure his squad could handle their duties without him a little longer.

It's not like they didn't have enough to do already. The brass had been working them back and forth to prepare for the Master Chief's arrival. Everything down to the port they were landing at was precisely picked to have some kind of emotional or nostalgic weight to them.

So it was no coincidence that New Mombasa was chosen as the destination. Ever since the end of the Human-Covenant War, it had become a symbol of Humanity's ability to survive and endure. The Covenant had done their best to destroy it when they opened that Slipspace portal and turned the city into a ghost town. A century later, it was even more prosperous than before and the spaceport was the largest commercial port within the African continent. So yes, it would likely be more than a bit poetic for the Chief to have his first step home be in the war's most famous city.

There was a catch of course. The Chief would not be with the Fifth Fleet during the arrival. Admiral Hackett and Anderson were giving him a private escort to a smaller terminal while the fleet diverted any unwanted attention. Kyle attributed that to the same reason they gave the Chief space during those first few days. That didn't leave him and the other marines with a whole lot of fanfare though. They just did something no one could replicate and all they would get was a traditional greeting.

In his case though, it was probably for the better. After that little mishap at the firing range, Kyle decided, upon Beckett's suggestion, to tone down the shooting showmanship. She was the only one who saw him at his most frustrated, but he still didn't want to raise any other concerns. So he just went on like nothing happened. Everyone else in the squad rolled with that, though he couldn't stop feeling paranoid about being judged.

As for the Chief, Kyle didn't see much of him. The Chief largely kept to himself during the ride, or so he heard from the crewmen. The Chief ate, he slept, he practiced the weapons, but aside from that not much else. He knew the Chief was still adjusting to the new time period, but he was grateful nonetheless. He didn't need to look like an ass to a living legend more than he already did.

A few more minutes went by as he continued silently observing the planet. Despite whatever he felt lately, he was feeling a nice zen right now. Like his frustrations and problems were inconsequential to the grand scheme of things. It was the closest thing to a spiritual moment he had experienced in months.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Kyle jumped and turned to see Anderson enter the room. He was dressed in his Alliance blues and looking rather dapper. Shit! Kyle must have been here longer than he expected if Anderson went looking for him. As usual though, Anderson didn't appear upset or concerned. He kept that same damn poker face on as he walked over to Kyle and stared out the window.

"Sir!" Kyle said as he quickly saluted.

"You don't have to salute every time, Kyle. We can talk as friends here," Anderson said.

Kyle lowered his hand and uncomfortably crossed his arms as he motioned to leave. "I'm sorry. I didn't…I'll get back to-"

"I would have told you to leave if I wanted you to," Anderson said still calm as ever. "I just want to talk."

Kyle sighed and slumped his arms down. Great….he 'wanted to talk.' He hadn't seen much of Anderson since the firing range mishap. That, however, was a conscious choice on Kyle's part more than not seeing Anderson. He figured he should be the one to initiate the conversation before Anderson.

"Sir, I…I'm sorry about the other day. It wasn't right for me to act like that." He apologized.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Anderson replied. "Water under the bridge."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. Ok…that went better than he expected.

"But next time you want to be a show off, pick your battles better," Anderson added. And there was the double-edged sword. Kyle groaned inside as Anderson chuckled. "To be fair, that was some impressive marksmanship."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Even the Chief complemented you. I'd say that's an achievement."

Kyle suspected that the Chief's reply was more a courtesy response to his half-assed compliment, but he wouldn't argue semantics. If the Chief did really mean it, well…that's good too.

"How have you been feeling, Kyle?" Anderson asked curiously.

"Fine," Kyle answered quickly. Maybe too quickly…he decided to add on to that. "I mean, yeah, I'm fine. Just…enjoying the view."

"I understand. For all the space voyages and gallivanting we do, it's nice to be reminded what we're fighting for."

"Amen," Kyle said with a smirk.

"Got any plans for your leave?"

"Yeah. My sister and her family are flying out from North America to visit."

"Just like that?" Anderson asked curiously.

"Yeah. They, uh…have a little extra cash to spare for travel."

"Well, that's good. Your sister must be very excited."

Kyle chuckled. "Not as much as the kids. All they get to see of me is the occasional vid-mail and maybe one or two visits a year."

"You close to them?"

Kyle shrugged. "Well, I'm the only uncle they got. Guess it's nice to see somebody in the family other than the grandparents."

"Fair enough," Anderson replied.

For the next minute, the two of them stood in silence. Something was on Anderson's mind more than just talking about Kyle's family. He had a few ideas what it could be, but he figured Anderson would talk about it when he wanted to.

Which he did right then. "So…did Ralston tell you?"

And that's exactly what Kyle thought it would be. Before he had switched off his comm., Ralston had told him the news. He nodded.

"Figured," Anderson said with a sigh and a light shake of the head. "That man can be a real blabbermouth sometimes."

Kyle took a deep breath before speaking up again. "When were you going to tell everyone?"

"I already did," Anderson said calmly with a smirk. "We tried calling your comm., but you didn't answer." Well…that's what Kyle gets for wanting some private time. He crossed his arms and looked back out the window.

"I wouldn't blame you if you were upset," Anderson said. "It was out of my hands."

Sure it was, Kyle thought to himself. It was one thing learning that Anderson was being reassigned onto a new ship alongside the Master Chief. It was another to find out that he had a choice in the matter and didn't pick Kyle or his squad. He knew how the procedure went!

"I mean it, Kyle," Anderson said. "It's important to keep those you trust close to you and if it was in my power I would have."

"So why couldn't you?"

Anderson remained silent before answering. "It's no suicide run."

"Yeah…" Kyle said sarcastically. "Classified. I get it."

"Whatever the brass says goes, Kyle. I shouldn't have to remind you."

"I know…"

The two of them remained silent for a while. Kyle slumped his shoulders a little to ease the tension he was feeling.

"Sometimes it's hard to accept that we're just cogs in a greater machine," Anderson said. "People think they can just swap out the parts with no fuss or problems. They forget that each part has a certain way of working together neatly."

And now Anderson was waxing philosophical. It was a nice sentiment though. Kyle noticed the thousand-mile stare Anderson gave out the window while saying it, so it was genuine.

"I'd prefer to have all the parts on my ship working at a hundred percent," Anderson added.

Kyle chuckled to himself. "Since when is efficiency ever on the Alliance's priority list? I'm surprised this hunk of junk is even space worthy."

The two of them had a light laugh at that. Kyle was still upset at not being reassigned with Anderson, but maybe it would be for the best. Anderson was probably sick of seeing him too often, even if they got along well enough. Kyle knew he'd be sick of the crap he pulled eventually!

"Well…" he waffled with a thought to follow that. "At least we get to live the life more than most soldiers. You know, boldly go where no man has gone before, chart uncharted territory, meet new people and kill them. Can't get anything like that anywhere else." He was turning the thought more into a joke, but it wasn't intentional.

Anderson chuckled. "It's enough to drive a man crazy."

"Yeah…sometimes…" Kyle bit back his tongue at that remark. It wasn't aimed at him, but that didn't stop his mind from registering it that way. He changed the subject. "Think you can handle being with the Chief for that long?" Kyle teased.

"He may be a hundred years older and a few hundred pounds heavier, but he's still a soldier and a good one at that. I doubt I'll have any problem."

"I'm more worried what you'll do to him," Kyle teased. "The Chief doesn't know what kind of hard ass is watching his every move."

Anderson laughed. "You would certainly know."

"Approaching Earth's atmosphere in five," the ship's intercom blared. "All hands prepare for landing."

Anderson motioned for Kyle to follow. "Better get back before someone reports you as AWOL." Kyle nodded and followed him out. A few servicemen passed by them to whatever posts they were assigned to. Kyle decided he should probably switch his comm. back on and let the others know he's still alive.

"Lieutenant," Anderson said as he stretched out a hand towards him. "It's been an honor working with you again."

Kyle took this moment as a sign to be the better man. Or at least better than he had been. Anderson was a good soldier and whatever reason there was for not being assigned together, he was sure it was a legitimate one. They were probably just doing crap runs to start the Chief off before the bigger stuff. Nothing to bring a crack ODST squad into.

He shook Anderson's hand. "Honor's mine, sir. Maybe the Alliance will change their mind and we'll work together soon."

"Lord knows you'd all be a good addition," Anderson replied as he broke the shake. "As long as you behave yourselves."

Kyle scoffed jokingly. "Don't be too hard on the Chief. Hate to see a living legend reduced to a panicked greenhorn."

"Only one way to find out," Anderson said as he walked down a nearby corridor. "Dismissed, lieutenant." He then rounded a corner and was gone.

Kyle took a moment to realize maybe this wasn't terribly enviable. Anderson was getting a privilege by watching over the Chief and he knew it. Still, it was a privilege that had huge ramifications. Whatever example he set as a captain was what the Chief was going to accept as the example the Alliance set in this century. Kyle wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any backfiring there!

He switched on his comm. and walked away. He had better things to worry about at the moment.

* * *

Everything after Kyle and Anderson parted went without any hiccups. The Master Chief was given his VIP escort on a private shuttle and the Fifth Fleet landed in the spaceport. After a quick headcount, Kyle and the rest of the crew made their way out of the terminal to the main gate. He knew that there was the usual crowd of family members, journalists and all sorts who come for military shore leaves waiting on the other side. It was a tradition, but it was a welcomed tradition.

It was strange to see everyone in their casual military outfits. Not a single hard suit or weapon in sight aside from that duffel bag of antiques Tangilanu carried with him. The crew all had a few days of shore leave while the fleet was being refueled, rearmed and given ship maintenance checks. Kyle didn't know exactly what his family had planned for him, but he was willing to go with the flow. At least he knew that his brother-in-law was going to put them up in a nice hotel while they were here.

He felt a nudge to his side and saw Beckett walk alongside him. "Got to make sure I keep my eye on you," she teased.

Kyle chuckled. "I was just practicing. Until further notice, you will be seeing very little of me. I release you from my control."

"Thank God," La Rosa replied sarcastically before turning to Tangilanu. "So yeah, you promised me one of those, remember?"

"I know, I know," Tangilanu said as if La Rosa had reminded him many times. "I got your address on my omni-tool."

"Good!" La Rosa said proudly. "Not like I'm going home anytime soon, but nice to know it will be waiting for me." He then gave a pat on Engelbrektsson's shoulder. "Got any fun plans while you're out?"

"If it involves being far away from you, then they will be," she joked stoically.

"Ooooh!" La Rosa feigned a burn on his arm. "The viper's venom doth burn."

To be honest, Kyle figured it would be good to get away for a while. His squad mates were good people, but too much of anyone for a long time could grate on your nerves. Maybe that's why he enjoyed seeing his family when he did. It was easier to appreciate something when you only could have it for so long.

The gate for their terminal opened and the crew exited to meet the crowd. It was mostly what Kyle expected. There were the family members with signs waiting for their soldiers. There were the news reporters with their floating cameras and extranet bloggers commenting on the moment. There were the police men and spaceport security who….seemed to have more people on site than usual. In fact, it seemed there were more of all these people than usual shore leaves. It was strange, but Kyle couldn't put his finger on it.

Kyle peeked over the crowd to see a local high school band lined up in rows playing a classic UNSC military anthem. That song had become a staple in military events even before the Human-Covenant War, with its thunderous intro and steady rhythm that was stupidly catchy. It was a nice piece, even if the brass section of this band was off.

La Rosa whistled as he saw the crowd. "Next time they should just roll out a red carpet."

"Do they usually do that?" Resolme asked naively.

"Oh all the time!" La Rosa teased. "Didn't you know that the ODST are just as big as movie stars?"

Just then, the group heard a loud booming voice shout from over the crowd. "TU'UTA!" Everyone looked over to the source to see a tall Polynesian man push through the crowd. He wore a causal button up shirt that was a size too small to show off his rippling muscles and some halfway decent dress slacks

"TU'UTA! FOTOTEHINA!" The large man said as he ran over and wrapped his arms around Tangilanu, lifting him off the ground in a giant bear hug. "Fuoloa 'e fepulingaki!" Kyle figured that the man was speaking Tongan since he looked like Tangilanu except a head and a half taller. His accent was also much stronger than any accent Tangilanu had.

"M-Mosese…" Tangilanu said with very concerned surprise as the man set him down. "Mosese, what are you doing here?"

"I was stationed in Acre when I heard your ship landed in New Mombasa, so I jumped on the first transport I could find," Mosese said barely containing his exuberant excitement.

Kyle was impressed. Acre was up in Ghana, which was still a good distance away from the Mombasa Island. The fact this guy could just leave his work like that was impressive.

Mosese wrapped one of his big arms around Tangilanu's shoulders and turned to the squad. "So these are the kaungame'as who helped you find the Master Chief, huh?"

That little remark threw everyone off! Hackett had explicitly told the crew not to discuss the Chief until after the brass made a formal announcement.

"What!" Kyle snapped at Mosese.

"Yeah," Mosese said defending himself. "The news stations announced it yesterday." He noticed everyone's befuddled expressions. "What?"

Kyle turned to the squad with an accusing glare. La Rosa and Englebrektsson shrugged. Beckett shook her head. Tangilanu was still stuck in Mosese's hug, but he didn't appear to know any more than they did.

"Don't look at me," Resolme said with his hands up.

Mosese chuckled. "Wow, you guys really didn't know?" He let go of Tangilanu and pulled out his own omni-tool. "Here, there should be something about it."

After a few taps, a vid screen pulled up with a live feed broadcasted from a local news station. The person was speaking some dialect of Afrikaans as the footage followed Hackett, Anderson and the Chief exiting their transport and walking through a huge crowd of humans, Sanghelli. Unggoy and other bystanders. Kyle knew somebody was going to have a very bad day if Hackett or Anderson found out whoever it was.

"This isn't a publicity stunt right?" Mosese asked with glee. "That's the real Master Chief?"

Kyle looked to Beckett, who gave a shrug. Well, there was no point hiding it anymore. "Yup, that's him."

"And was it you guys who found him specifically?"

Kyle paused. That was unusually pointed, but sure he'd answer. "Well…more or less."

"Whoo!" Mosese shouted gleefully and turned to the reporters waving his arm. "Yo, these are the guys who-"

Tangilanu turned him back around sharply. "Mosese! Please!"

"What? Just want everyone to know you guys found him! You guys are heroes!" Mosese defended innocently.

"I know! Just…not now," Tangilanu said glancing at the group. La Rosa and Resolme attempted to contain their amusement to his discomfort. "Yeah, uh, this is my cousin Mosese."

"Cousin?" Mosese said amused as he gave a hard, friendly slap on Tangilanu's back. "There's no Tongan word for cousin, fototehina. Every Tongan is a brother or sister no mater the relation."

Tangilanu rubbed his back. "Well, by definition…ah forget it."

Kyle would have also tried to suck whatever enjoyment he could from this family reunion…until he saw some familiar faces in the distance. "Ok, so we'll meet back here tomorrow. Have fun and don't cause any trouble," he said to his group as he rushed out.

As he left, he pat Mosese on the back. "Oh and nice to meet you. Bring him back in one piece!" He chuckled.

And Kyle left them to their own devices. So it looked like Tangilanu had something to look forward to. He hoped everyone else had something to match that. They'd probably make calls to loved ones, party in some strip club, buy any personal items they needed and generally do…whatever they all did. Hopefully not all at the same time.

Right now though, Kyle had his sights focused on three small people running towards him.

"Uncle Kyle!" The oldest one shouted cheerfully.

He couldn't believe how much older they all looked. Sandra was probably thirteen and her blond hair looked just like her mother's. Joseph was definitely ten and his freckled face was just as amusing to look at as before. And little Emma was eight and Kyle could see how her mother was spoiling her with those curly locks they worked on together.

He bent down and wrapped his arms around all three of them. It was a good feeling having them close again.

"We missed you!" Joseph said excitedly.

"How was space?" Emma asked.

"Did you fight any bad guys?" Sandra asked.

"It's been so long!" Kyle said as he stretched his hand a head above Joseph. "Last time I saw you buddy you were this big. Are you not eating your vegetables again?"

"You're lying!" Joseph chuckled.

"Me?" Kyle teased as he put a hand in the air and one on a fake Bible. "Noooo! Soldier's honor!" He spotted their parents in the back. "Come on! Let's say hi to your mom and dad."

"We say hi to them every day," Sandra said. "You say hi to them."

"I guess I will, smarty pants," Kyle smiled as he walked over.

Kyle was fortunate enough to have one sister while growing up. He was several years older than her, but they still got along well regardless. While Kyle followed the tradition of every man in the family serving in the ODST, she went the old fashioned route of being a housewife. And for being such, she had aged gracefully. Her long blond hair draped over her shoulders. Her soft blue eyes looked like shining jewels. Her skin was at a nice color where it was neither too dark nor too light. And she had the figure of a woman ten years younger than her. People used to joke how they didn't even look related, but that was just how the gene pool worked.

He gave her a long embrace. "Good to see you, Kim!"

"You too, Kyle." They broke the embrace and looked over to the crowd of people. "Looks like quite the party just like always."

"Well not exactly," the man to her side said as he approached them. "This time they actually have a celebrity present so people care if they come home." It had taken a while for Kyle to warm up to Kim's husband, but David Walker was a pretty good guy. They met during college and dated for two years before he proposed. Now he was living it up as a successful producer and director for serialized vids. That sounds like a catch to Kyle.

"Aw, knock me down when I'm feeling good about myself," Kyle joked. He knew Hackett would still chew out whoever spilled the beans, but he might as well own it. Not like he had a time machine. The two of them gave a quick friendly embrace as the kids gathered around them.

"Alright, who's hungry?" David said to the kids, who all raised their hands. "Hope you don't mind Korean. We've been trying to broaden the kids' palette more," he said to Kyle.

"I'd eat anything as long as it's not nutrient paste," Kyle said totally not joking. "Lead the way."

The kids followed David to the rental vehicle as Kim walked beside Kyle.

"You know David's going to talk your ear off about the Chief, right?" She said. "Ever since the news broke out, he's been contesting for exclusive rights to your story. He's hoping to go with a documentary of some kind."

Kyle smiled. Perhaps Resolme's little video recording could be put to use after all. He'd have to clear it with Anderson and the brass of course, meaning it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"I'll make sure we keep that to a minimum," she added. "Don't want to have the Master Chief dominating our day with you."

"Thanks," Kyle said gratefully. As they approached the rental vehicle, his thoughts went back to his crew. He hadn't really asked what any of them had specifically planned. He just hoped they would use their time wisely….

**Codex Entry: (Humanity and the Systems Alliance) New Mombasa**

_Located on the Mombasa Island south of Kenya, New Mombasa rose to prominence after being chosen as the first "tether city." An orbital elevator was built as an efficient way of lifting heavy ordinance out from the planet's surface to space without the need for booster rockets. This became the heart of New Mombasa's economy to expand in numerous prosperous fields, turning it into the most prosperous city in the African continent._

_The city also has the distinction of being a primary target in the Covenant's invasion of Earth. In the course of a day, the city was invaded, occupied and eventually destroyed by a Slipspace rupture and glassing. The extensive civilian and military casualties have been recorded in human archives._

_Following the Human-Covenant War, the city became a rallying cry for reconstruction. With its orbital elevator destroyed, the city had to find new ways to bring in revenue. The New Mombasa spaceport was built as a replacement for space travel, which became a booming enterprise following technological advances in mass effect fields. Commercial tourism also played a significant role. While the city provided many venues for entertainment and levity, it was marketed on a whole as a war memorial. The ruins of the orbital elevator, the remains of buildings sucked into the Slipspace rupture, various monuments, museums and the famous Spartan Hill remain iconic figures in remembering the cost of war and the hope for survival._

_To learn more about New Mombasa tourism and historical reference, follow the links on the extranet and Alliance databases._

**And that is the set-up. On to Part 2 to see how most of the members spend their day off!**


	6. Some Time Apart (Part 2)

**And now onto the shore leave! This will cover a diversity of topics, particularly with Kyle's sections. Enjoy!**

* * *

01230 Hours, February 22, 2683

New Mombasa Combat Arena, Earth

Sol System, Forerunner Cluster

"One potato…two potato…three potato…four!"

Jared La Rosa smiled as he fired his sniper rifle and struck one of his opponents in the neck. The man fell as three other soldiers nearby fired at La Rosa's position at his base. Time to jet!

He ducked and roadie ran with a shit-eating grin as simulated bullets whizzed over his head. It had been too long since he had been in a combat simulator and luckily New Mombasa had one nearby. It was nowhere near as big or flashy as the ones on Reach or Edmonton, but it was a perfectly functional training ground for teams on off seasons. Thankfully, it was also available on days like today for recreational use. And these punks who challenged him deserved to be put in their place!

"He's over there!" One of the other soldiers shouted.

"Oooooh!" La Rosa taunted. "I'm quaking in my boots!"

He about faced as they fired towards his direction. Good! He dove behind a wall, rolled into the hallway of a nearby building and ran to the opposite side. He could hear the other soldiers outside scattering about to flank him on multiple angles.

And now for a little stealth action!

He twirled his rifle like a flag and gripped it with the butt facing towards him. A pair of footsteps approached his position. He lifted his rifle back like a club and counted.

"One potato….two potato…."

He spotted the soldier's shadow and grinned as he swung. The rifle slammed into the soldier's helmet, knocking the poor bastard onto his back. With another twirl, he aimed at the soldier's head and fired.

Two down!

As he ran out of the building, he looked back to see the soldier's motionless body disappear in a shimmer of blue light. Thanks to the advances in combat arena technology, players could actually use lethal force and not kill anyone. Once a player received enough critical damage or a killing blow, their armor would lock and a device built into their arena suit would warp them back to their "home base" or out of the arena. Not that La Rosa would be too bummed if he killed these guys. It just meant he didn't have to hold back.

He rounded a corner and spotted two other soldiers coming towards him. A quick glance to his side revealed a stairway to the second floor of the building. He ran full speed up it as the soldiers fired, his shields shimmering as rounds bounced off them.

"He's heading up the second level!" One soldier shouted out.

"Very astute, Sherlock!" La Rosa taunted again.

"We're gonna kill you, helljumper!" Another soldier said.

La Rosa chuckled. It was cute how they thought they were going to win.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he spotted what he was looking for. A large 'man cannon', essentially a gravity launcher that propelled players across the arena, was at the edge calling his name. The bullets flying behind him were enough motivation to answer the call.

As they reached the top of the stairs, he jumped into the cannon, twisted in mid-air and aimed at the soldier to the right. With a crack, his shot connected where the soldier's right eye would be, sending him rolling down the stairs.

La Rosa timed how long it would take to land as he plotted his next step. He didn't know if the other soldier would follow or not, but they were probably angry enough to try any crazy tactic to catch him off guard. And he still had no idea where the other remaining soldier was so he had to keep a watch. A few seconds later and he landed on the ground with a roll...

…just in time to miss a sniper shot. He rushed behind some simulated rocks as another shot ricocheted near his face, blowing simulated dust at him. The guys who designed the arenas have done their best over the years to make the matches feel as real as possible. He still remembered when it was nothing but generic landscapes with just a little polish.

As he put his back to cover, he retraced his steps since the match started. He had already used three shots. He could only use two more if he wanted to win. He could do it. He moved to a crouch and slowly peeked around the corner looking for the sniper. That bitch had to be at that team's base. He fixed his zoom as he scanned both levels of the base. Just a flicker of light from their scope or a poorly timed movement was all he needed.

"He's behind the rocks!" A voice shouted over the intercom.

Shit! Their buddies outside the arena were helping them.

"CHEATERS!" He shouted as he ducked, missing another shot. So they were going to play dirty huh? It wouldn't help them.

Then he heard the roaring of a vehicle engine. The other soldier had found a warthog and was driving right towards him. The fact it wasn't slowing down cued him to the plan. They were going to ram the warthog into the entrance he came in from hoping to block his escape, forcing him to exit out the side where he was exposed to sniper fire.

They really didn't know whom they were dealing with!

He ran back the way he came in right as the warthog was about to slam into the entrance. With a fluid jump, he dove right under the vehicle as it rode over him and crashed. He turned and aimed the rifle to the driver's side as the soldier jumped out. What luck! The soldier's nuts were right in his line of sight.

One perfect shot later and the soldier was down for the count. La Rosa suddenly felt an impulse and rolled out from under the vehicle as a sniper shot hit his previous spot. Now it was just him and this jackass!

"You can call it quits, you know!" La Rosa shouted to wherever the sniper was. "You wouldn't be any less of a man for doing so!"

"Good thing I'm not a man then!" A distinctly black female voice shouted back.

"….touché!" He admitted. "But you're still going down!" He calculated how far away she was based on her shout. She hadn't left the base, but she was moving. She wanted to lure him into the base to sneak attack him.

"One minute remaining!" A voice shouted over the intercom. Shoot! He was going to have to take the bait. He bolted from behind the warthog towards her base. He quick scanned the front of the building. No sign of her. At least not yet.

He arrived at the entrance and put his back against the left side with his rifle raised. He counted to three in his head before peeking around the corner. No one there. He had to keep his guard up. He entered in breach style with his rifle and switched on his light.

It was dark and it was too quiet. He knew she was setting a trap. He just had to think faster than her. He slowed his steps as he listened carefully. She was nearby. He could feel it. He thought of the possible places she could be hiding. As he reached the center of the bottom level, he looked up to the open ceiling leading from the second level. She wasn't there. Then where…

By the time he figured it out, she was already behind him. He quickly spun around, grabbed the barrel of her rifle and lifted it above him as she fired. She tried to stealth snipe him from right behind the head. Clever girl!

Before he could react, she kneed his rifle out from his hands. It landed on the ground as he grabbed her rifle with both hands and slammed her against the wall. He would have pummeled her to critical damage right there, but he had to keep within the bet. He pulled at her rifle trying to take it from her, which was tougher than he thought. She was strong!

He twirled the gun out from her hand and tried to aim it. However, a kick to his chest caused the rifle to fly out to the ground. He took a badly timed moment to catch his breath as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Though he technically couldn't be choked to death, his arena suit could register prolonged pressure around his neck as such. He shook around and flailed his fists behind him to no avail. His shields were decreasing rapidly.

He moved the two of them back and forth, slamming into walls and trying to roll out of her grip. She continued to hold on though, countering his moves. Shit! It would require something pretty tricky to get out of this.

Then he thought of something.

He allowed her to forward slam into a nearby wall. Before he hit it though, he stuck a leg out and shifted their momentum. He hoped this worked! He used both legs to walk up the wall and positioned both hands onto her shoulders as he slipped himself out of her arms. With sheer luck, he flipped himself over her and pushed her into the wall. His landing was less than graceful though, as he met the floor face first.

He quickly grabbed the nearest rifle he could find. It was hers, but he didn't care. Right as she turned, he aimed from the ground at her face.

"Bang! You're dead!" He said slyly as he fired.

The woman's suit locked up and she fell to the ground. He heaved while letting his adrenaline cool down. A few more seconds and the woman disappeared in a shimmer of blue. He did it! He won!

The arena level disintegrated around him, reverting back to its generic empty state. He chucked the rifle away and swaggered weakly to the window where he knew the others were watching.

"CAN!" He shouted pointing at them with an insidious smile. He exited out a nearby door and began chucking pieces of his armor onto the floor.

"That doesn't count!" A tall blonde haired man with a buzz cut shouted at him. This was the guy who had challenged him in the first place, but didn't have the guts to actually fight. Something about 'officiating the match.' Behind the man, the rest of his team stood by their lockers putting away their gear and grunting unsatisfied.

"The rules were completely fair," La Rosa defended. "Three minutes and five bullets. You never said anything about whose gun I could use."

"There's no-"

"It's just as unfair as helping your buddies from behind the scene. If you want to argue semantics, we can have an arena official review the match's vid. I don't think you want to wait that long though, especially if he's just going to say you lost. Now pay up!"

They stared down each other for a few seconds before the blonde man conceded and opened his omni-tool.

"That's a good boy," La Rosa said as he walked away. "Maybe next time we can go 'mano y mano' so your boys can't do all your dirty work."

He walked past the other soldiers and nodded. Most of them looked away or pretended they didn't see him. However, the female soldier and him met with their eyes sternly locked towards each other. He noticed her name, Greenwood, on her armor.

"You got talent, Greenwood," he said. "Keep practicing. Maybe one day these guys won't have to hold you back." She nodded and resumed taking off her armor.

He turned to see a dumbfounded and wide-eyed Resolme still by the window staring at him. "The match is over, greenhorn." He chuckled without breaking his stride. "We can go now unless you need your eyes to relax."

Resolme quickly caught up as they exited. "I….I don't know-" He stammered.

"There's nothing to really say," La Rosa said. "I kicked their asses!"

"You didn't have to do that."

"And what, let them get away with calling you those names? No one bad mouths our greenhorns except us."

Resolme looked back to the arena. "God! That's pro level stuff you just pulled."

"Yup…" La Rosa said as he reached into his shirt. "You can be a Blood Dragon fan, a Reckoner Knight fan or any other fan. And there's nothing wrong with that. Anyone with half a brain knows the current Blood Dragon line-up will own this year."

He pulled out what he was looking for. Looped in the chain of his dog tag were two arena combat championship rings. Like anything of value, he kept them close to his heart.

"But any true arena combatant should know one simple rule," he said proudly, "Don't screw with a Grey Warden!"

* * *

"Ha! No tell me that's not true," Kyle chuckled.

"Honest!" David said as he drank from his glass. Ever since they arrived at the Korean restaurant, David had been chewing Kyle's ear off with stories. Some of them were things Kyle knew little to nothing about, but at least David made them interesting to listen to.

"So we offer Kitt a sizeable sum for the job. He told us how much he wanted to work in vids, especially with…oh, how did he put it? 'The extravagant and exhilarating advances in extranet distribution.' I mean what, did this guy step out of the 22th century?" David joked.

Kyle's eyes drifted to the other people around them. Kim entertained Emma across the table while Sandra and Joseph discussed something that was certainly outside his demographic. It's not that he wasn't paying attention to David, but he just found the scene charming. In spite of the Korean restaurant's flaunted style and cleanliness, there was something that still made it inviting for a family. It was also surprisingly multicultural for being such a specific cuisine, with human, Asari and Unggoy servers bouncing between tables. At least the kids were behaving themselves. Heaven knows that rowdy and obnoxious kids ruin the atmosphere.

"Didn't the guy know you were paying him by the episode?" Kyle asked as he focused back to David.

"I know, right? He was only doing two or three episodes, but it's a pretty prestigious job. He's one of those award hungry types, so that should have sweetened the deal," David continued. "So we're preparing to shoot the first episode and everyone's excited. I mean, who would have believed we got Francis Kitt to get off his stage and do vids?"

"And then…?" Kyle anticipated the 'but' moment.

"And then we get a call from his agent saying he's not interested anymore. I'm all, 'What? What could be so important that he would bail on the project?'" David then chuckled. "The agent then told me…" David slipped into a goofy British accent. "'Mr. Kitt has found a new venture that would be more suitable and challenging for his skills.' That's when I saw a notice posted up on an entertainment news site for his production of Hamlet with an Elcor cast!"

"Elcor?" Kyle said surprised.

"I kid you not. Francis Kitt's Hamlet is an all elcor production. THAT'S more interesting than a miniseries on the Great Schism?"

"He does realize he has to make an Elcor act right? Fitting a Mgalekolo through a needle's eye is easier than that."

"That's what everyone said. Kitt had some defense how it's about judging 'Hamlet by his deeds and not his emotions.' You know, to placate the arty types."

Kyle shrugged. "Guess making a theater guy play for the other team was too much to ask for."

"I guess," David sighed. "Who would have thought live theater would see such a revival over the last few decades? Ah well! I'm directing the pilot episode now, so good for me."

"On that short a notice?"

"Sure. I've been working on this for so long I can recite the script in my sleep. Kim knows that," David joked as he nodded towards Kim.

"Oh yes," Kim played along. "It's mesmerizing. It's like someone narrating a Terrence Malick film."

"Har dee har har!" David mocked. "You're lucky Kyle doesn't watch old movies so he can't get that joke."

Actually, Kyle had seen quite a few older films. David obviously introduced everyone in the family to some of the classics, but Kyle had seen a few on his own accord. You could find anything with extranet technology. David was right though. He had no idea what they were talking about!

"Sorry, I could talk entertainment all day," David said as he 'waved' the conversation away. "This is about you, Kyle. I mean, how long has it been?"

"Too long," Kyle replied.

"I'll say," Kim chimed in. "Mom and Dad were surprised when they found out you were coming back. Oh, and they said sorry by the way."

"What? Sorry that they couldn't drop everything and visit me on a day's notice? Shocker! I thought everyone was made of money like you guys are," Kyle joked. He was surprised that he was in such good spirits at the moment. Maybe it was the anticipation of actual Earth made food but he enjoyed it still.

"They really would have loved to come," Kim said flatly.

"I know, I know. I'll give them a call later," Kyle said retracting his jokey tone. Kim didn't usually joke about family, even if she was perfectly fine teasing David.

"They're doing fine though," David said. "But you can bet they were stunned to hear that big bad Kyle found the Master Chief."

"Yeah!" Sandra piped in. "Grandpa didn't talk for forever after Dad said that. He looked liked this." She then made a goofy 'stunned look' face that probably wasn't too far off from the real reaction.

"So first we resurrected theater and now Earth's most famous hero," David said to Kyle. "Only logical progression is to bring back the dinosaurs."

"What's a dinosaur?" Emma asked.

"I'll tell you later, honey," Kim smiled as she turned back to Kyle. "Dad's very proud of you."

"I'm sure he is," Kyle said. Despite some of the tougher edges Kyle's father earned the ODST, he respected and cared for that man/

"Is that ours, dad?" Joseph said as he pointed to an Asari carrying a large tray of fresh dishes.

"I think so," David said as he signaled her over. "Took long enough."

The Asari arrived at the table and started laying out the plates to their respective person. "My apologies for the wait," she said cheerfully. "I hope everything is to your liking."

"If this kimchi tastes as good as it smells, I will be very content," David said to her as she placed a dish of pork and…some other stuff in front of him. Kyle hadn't tried much Korean, so he went with a safe dish of stir-fried chicken. He still couldn't pronounce the proper name for it though!

"Let me know if I can bring anything else for you," the Asari said politely as she moved to another table.

"Alright, don't make a mess everyone," Kim said to the children. "We don't want to look nasty before we go to church."

…that was something Kyle didn't expect to hear.

"What now?" He said befuddled.

Kim turned to him surprised. "I thought I told you we were all going to church today."

Kyle shook his head. "I don't recall that."

"Well…that's what we have planned. There's a service today."

"You're coming too, right uncle Kyle?" Emma asked him innocently.

Kyle was in a bind now as everyone's eyes fell upon him. Church wasn't a priority in his agenda, but he couldn't turn down the invitation now without looking like a jerk to the kids.

"…well, I don't have a 'Sunday best' to wear," Kyle sighed.

"Oh no worries," David in the middle of chewing his food. "Kim brought an extra suit. She figured you probably wouldn't have one."

Kyle gave a quick glare to Kim, who averted his gaze. He knew she hadn't mentioned church in any of her messages. She probably set him up for this moment to happen so he would go. They had his word now, so that's all she cared about.

Kyle picked up a fork and twirled around his food. Looks like his shore leave was going to be more spiritual, whether he wanted it to be or not…

* * *

First came the slow rise of the intro. A chorus of men and women joined together in a steadily rising note accompanied by a shimmering sound. Then came the drums with a steadily, pounding rhythm accompanied by a distinctly Russian chant. Then came the electronic music. Each new piece built the song bit by bit, ratcheting the scale and the intensity.

That's exactly the kind of music Julianne Engelbrektsson likes!

The surge of biotic energy that rippled from her hands was enough a sign that she should buy the album. She took the sampler earpiece off and examined the title: The Complete Works of Jesper Kyd. She had never heard of this guy before, but he sure had some good music!

It had been a while since she visited a proper antique music shop. Most music was just streamed or purchased through the extranet amongst other carriers, but there was still a place and purpose for actual stores to buy music from. It was a small, modestly decorated building with promotional ads for various kinds of music plastered all over, but the atmosphere was what she treasured. It was nice and simple, without the throb and glitz of "professionally ran" retro stores. Only true admirers of old music could provide this experience and there were few admirers better than squidheads.

"That's pretty good stuff," she said to the Sanghelli at the counter.

"I know right!" The young Sanghelli squeaked with excitement. He was not a particularly tall Sanghelli for his age, but he wasn't a pushover either. He wore the shop's traditional work outfit, but it had custom stickers and items he picked to stand out. He also had a variety of tattoos to show off his fandoms. She particularly admired the Nine Inch Nails tattoo on his arm! "Some of his later albums are great too, but those first few albums are to die for. Want any other suggestions?"

"I'm good. Put that in my cart with the rest," she said as she approached the counter.

Engelbrektsson knew being the team's biotic support was nothing to scoff at. She may be able to fling numbskulls like La Rosa with her mind, but that much power without some kind of center was dangerous. She had heard the stories about the L2 implant side effects and even though her L3 implants were superior, she decided to not take any precautions. After testing out various methods to help hone her skills, she found that music was the best option for her. Not just one type of music either. Her playlist contained easy listening, hard metal, jazz, instrumental, classic rock, dub step and all kinds of genres. This was especially valuable during practice and even thinking of the right song during combat helped channel her energy the right way.

"Quite a purchase you're making today," the Sanghelli said as he scanned her online cart with a datapad.

"I may not be back for a while," she said matter of fact. "Might as well stock up for the long haul."

"They keep you Alliance types busy?"

"Not enough to stop the music!"

The Sanghelli pumped a fist as he showed the total. She was just happy she budgeted her income because that was more than expected.

"So are you visiting family?" The Sanghelli asked as she paid for the music.

"Nope. We're on shore leave for finding the Master Chief," she said plainly. Since the cat was out of the bag about their little treasure hunt, there was no reason to hide it.

The Sanghelli's mouth went agape, or at least their equivalent of it. "For real? You found the Chief?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. We were in the right place at the right time."

"Well then why the hell are you paying for this?" He tapped on the datapad. "Let me just-"

"No thank you," she stopped him.

"But you guys are-"

"Just soldiers. He's the celebrity. I don't need any special treatment."

The Sanghelli would have persisted, but her stare caused him to back off. "Alright," he said anxious now. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"I'm good," she said. Seeing he was bummed about not being able to wave off her payment, she figured she should lighten his mood. "I'll make sure to recommend this store to anyone who wants good music."

The Sanghelli's mandible perked into a smile. "That'd be great! Thanks a billion!"

She nodded as she exited the store. Well…that was the only real thing on her to do list. Now she had to find something else to do! There was certainly no shortage of venues in New Mombasa, but doing them by yourself was strange. She shrugged as she decided to pick a few areas to visit. As she walked away, she wondered what the rest of the squad was doing right now…

* * *

Kyle loosened the tie on his suit as he followed David, Kim and the kids. It was likely just a nervous reaction, because the tie wasn't tight at all. Why he was nervous he had no idea. It's not like going to church would kill him. He went every Sunday with his family when he was growing up. That was a long time ago though.

He had been noticeably quieter ever since they left the Korean restaurant. He was still irritated that Kim had sprung this on him by surprise. Granted, he should have put it together that Sunday equaled church, but she should have told him anyway. She must have figured he would have said no, which he probably would have but politely of course.

"Are you sure this is the nearest chapel?" Kim asked David as the kids tailed along behind her.

"It's a little farther than I expected, but yes," David replied back. It was his idea to go by foot, as he wanted to recreate the old fashioned tradition. However, twenty minutes of walking was certainly more than 'just a few blocks away.' At least the weather was decent.

After crossing one more street, the chapel came into view. If there was one thing Kyle still remembered, it's that these chapels were very modest in appearance. They had all the material and essential functions of a modern building, but their design was intentionally low key. No flashy colors, small size, no complicated patterns and nothing too expensive in design. It certainly was out of place compared to all the other buildings surrounding it.

Kyle noted how funny religion was these days as they followed a diverse group to the building. There were ups and downs in popularity depending on the political and social climate of that decade or century. Some religions endured the test of time to have millions of practicing members to this day. Others fell by the wayside for failing to adapt, making bad choices or simply becoming unpopular. And even more continued to be founded to find their place in a confused religious atmosphere. It was interesting to study historically, even if just for mere curiosity.

However, the last century brought about an unforeseen revival in religious interest thanks to the Human-Covenant War. The fact that it was brought about by religious fanatics certainly jaded many people, but others emerged from the rubble with stirred consciences and existential dilemmas to face. Kyle's grandfather was one of those people and it's his actions that led to his family being churchgoers. Nothing like the near extinction of your species to stir up curiosity of an afterlife.

There was certainly no end of human religions to seek after. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and many popular religions along with their sects opened their arms to the hungry and grief stricken masses. Many faiths had to adapt their doctrine to accommodate the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Of course, like anything with religion, it stirred up no end of controversy for how to appropriately accept other lifeforms.

However, an even more intriguing development was the intermingling with new races. Once the Covenant races became allies, they started sharing their own beliefs and philosophies with humanity. It was a good move on their part. What had previously been known as a misguided super cult was revealed to be a collective of diverse and intriguing theologies that sought understanding like any human faith. The Sanghelli faith is still the most well known, but other beliefs amongst the Unggoy and Kig-Yar have found acceptance with human culture.

Things only continued to expand from there. The fallout of the First Contact War and intermingling with the Citadel races opened new avenues for the religious student and casual observer alike. The Asari religion Siari, the Athame Doctrine, the Salarian Wheel of Life, Drell polytheism, Hanar belief in the 'Enkindlers' and more were quickly introduced into the already complicated religious atmosphere. Kyle was surprised people could even think with so many different voices shouting at them, but each faith managed to be fairly represented amongst the human population regardless.

Which made him all the more surprised that his church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was still thriving after all of that.

It was nowhere near the oldest Christian sect, but the Church has seen its fair share of history over the last few centuries. It was one of the first major faiths that, right behind Catholicism, openly embraced and encouraged interaction with other alien races. It didn't make a lot of friends doing so, but the Church had never been very concerned with popularity.

It was also amongst the loudest voices for missionary work on a galactic scale, even outside of religious preaching. Stories have been told of its missionaries lending service across the galaxy to both human and alien alike. From establishing agriculture for developing colonies to running community centers on the Citadel, the Church's presence has been felt if even just in small doses. Church promotion material still circulates inspiring photos of interspecies connection to help the cause, including a famous photo with two human missionaries playing soccer with Turians, Salarians, Sanghelli and Unggoy. Despite general tolerance to it as a faith and the occasional alien convert, it was still a largely human religion.

So Kyle would have never have guessed someone like the person greeting them would have joined.

"Enthusiastic greeting, welcome brothers and sisters to our chapel," a large Elcor wearing his race's equivalent to church clothes boomed with his droning monotone. Elcors continued to be a mystery to Kyle, more than wondering how anyone could baptize one to begin with. Despite being incredibly huge and with arms that could crush cars, Elcors were one of the least intimidating races he had ever met. Something about their slow movement, monotone and overly friendly speech just seemed off to him.

"Proper introduction," the Elcor continued to drone, "My name is Brother Urlyn. Is this your first time visiting?"

"Yes and just for today," David said. "We're from out of town. Sacrament hasn't started yet, has it?"

"Confident reassurance, no it has not. We are about to begin Sunday School."

"Yay!" Sandra said excitedly. "I hope the kids are nicer here than the last place."

Kyle looked back to see a nicely dressed Sanghelli exit from the building as other humans and a few Asari walked into the building.

"Salutations, brothers and sisters," the Sanghelli said as he shook Kim and David's hands. "Always a pleasure to have visitors."

"Informative statement," the Elcor said to the Sanghelli. "Brother Ak'Thom, you should show them where the classrooms are."

"Very true," Ak'Thom said, "Getting lost would do none of us well. Please follow me."

The group proceeded to follow Ak'Thom and Urlyn into the building….except for Kyle.

"Hey Kyle," David said turning back to him. "Are you coming?"

"Uh, yeah," Kyle said hesitantly. "Just…uh, just give me a minute."

"Alright. We'll save a seat for you," David said as the group disappeared around a corner.

Kyle wandered a few steps away from the building as he ran his fingers through his hair. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Was it fear? Guilt? Anger? He couldn't quite pinpoint it. It just didn't feel right. For some reason, the idea of his squad judging him for going to church ran through his mind. It was totally irrational, but he did so anyway.

He sat on the curb outside the building and sighed. He took a moment to reflect as a few stragglers entered the chapel. He didn't deny there may be a God out there. Heaven knows he's been in moments where only divine intervention could have kept him alive. He just had…doubts. Doubts about why he had to go through what he did in the First Contact War. Doubts about why people he knew were better than him died while he continued on. And doubts about…forgiving. He knew there were probably simple answers to these. Just not satisfying ones for him. Going to Church today was not likely to change much.

A thought ran through his mind. He could just leave. The others would be none the wiser and he could do something he wanted to do instead. He toyed the thought around for a few minutes, seriously considering it as an option.

He sighed. He was being a baby. It's church! If he could fight Jiralhanae and Batarians, he could sit through a church meeting. Just be polite, don't raise a hand for questions and it will be over quickly. It was just like any other meeting he's been to.

With a deep sigh, Kyle stood back up and entered the building. He hoped three hours would be as short as he remembered it being...

**Codex Entry: (Humanity and the Systems Alliance) Entertainment**

_Entertainment and dramatization has important cultural significance for most races. Humans in particular have a proclivity to seek diversion, understanding and other necessities through the arts. Over the centuries, their arts have evolved from drawing on cave walls to elaborate productions through moving picture storytelling._

_Following the Human-Covenant War, entertainment found itself both as a pariah and a necessity for recovery. While many decried to idea of trying to use the arts to divert from serious reconstruction, others saw it as a necessity for the same goal. Numerous enterprises were ruined from the ramifications of the war, but others endured or adapted to find new means to communicate to the masses._

_Some artists chose to resurrect old forms of entertainment such as live stage theater as a way to interact with local audiences on more intimate levels. Others chose to pursue the newly established extranet as a means for mass distribution. Comedy and historical stories dominated the scene for many years, but more diverse genres developed as people began talking about the Human-Covenant War and First Contact War more frankly. After a few decades, the entertainment world for human kind re-emerged as a thriving enterprise._

_Further growth came as intermingling commenced. Art forms from the Sanghelli, Asari, Turians and other races found their audiences on Earth to great success. Likewise, human entertainment was exported and marketed with cross-species appeal in mind. Human driven cinemas and stage theaters found homes on the Citadel while human extranet programming continues to receive phenomenal ratings across the board. New technology and storytelling continues to be developed in hopes of furthering the arts and communication to many individuals._

_To learn more about human and other species entertainment history, visit the respective extranet links._

**Now to Part 3!**


	7. Some Time Apart (Part 3)

**And now for the final part of this lengthy chapter. And what better way to start this than with a little titillation?**

* * *

Tonight was a test of endurance for Tu'uta Tangilanu. After Mosese whisked him away from the group, it was party central. Or at least that's how Mosese referred to going from one place to another without a plan in his head. They hit a few bars, toured stores, popped in a dance club, ate a buffet almost to bankruptcy and stopped anywhere Mosese could think of. Tangilanu was unfortunately just there for the ride.

Well, that and to be an object of attention. Everywhere they went, Mosese had to remind people that Tangilanu helped to find the Master Chief. The expected "oohs" and "aahs" they got were cute at first, but after the seventeenth time it was a nuisance.

It was hard to just be angry with Mosese though. He had gone a great length to get to New Mombasa and it was not exactly cheap either, even with Mosese's discount as a serviceman. Plus, Mosese was one of those people too innocent to stay mad at for long. It was like a clumsy puppy, where they mean well despite being completely careless. And he knew Mosese did care for him as family, so that counted for something.

Though this recent stop was not exactly a family activity.

"Come on, fototehina," Mosese said just an octave too loud. He was very visibly tipsy after the last bar they stopped at. "Just one. I promise, just one and we can do whatever you want."

"You've been saying that all day," Tangilanu said frustrated.

"Psshh…no! …Maybe. Still, I mean it. Just this one! I'll pay for it. It'll help ya…loosen up," Mosese said as he made a noodle motion with his arms.

Tangilanu sighed. He wasn't a prude, but strip clubs were not his favorite places. He could handle filth and sleeze. That came with his job. This was something else though. It was a desperate man who paid for something he could get for free.

"Please! I might not get to see you for a long time after today," Mosese said making a begging gesture. "You'll thank me later!"

Tangilanu sighed. He had no idea why he was entertaining this. "Just one. That's it."

Mosese beamed. "I love you, fototehina! You're the best!" He wrapped an arm around Tangilanu's neck as the entered into the building. If the Mgalekolo bouncers weren't intimidating enough, the club's name, The Gutter, served as an ominous and ironic taunt!

The previously faint electronic music now blasted at full volume all around them. Smoke filled Tangilanu's lungs instantly, overpowering the other odious odors of the place. Customers of all races and genders occupied the various chairs and stools as they sought their individual or group entertainment. The "workers" were predominantly human, though there were a fair share of Asari and even a Turian entertaining the masses. There were even holographic entertainers for the truly pathetic! High class this certainly was not.

"Whoo!" Tangilanu shouted as he soaked in the atmosphere. "Now this is a party. That dance club is shit compared to this." He was lying through his teeth to even think of saying that.

"I know! Bring on the titties!" Mosese said with drunk excitement.

A particularly sultry black woman approached the two of them and stroked under Tangilanu's chin. Of course! They always aim for the guy who doesn't want to be there. She was tall and slender, with that outfit he had seen the dancers at Chora's Den wear. To be fair, it flattered her. "Hey boys," she said with a distinctly Nigerian accent. "What brings you to our little club?"

"Celebrating!" Mosese answered quickly as he slipped his arm off of Tangilanu. "This man here found the Master Chief!"

"Oh?" She said with playful teasing. "Did he now?"

"Yes ma'am! Pulled him out of the cyro pod himself!" Mosese exaggerated. It seemed that the more drunk Mosese got, the bigger Tangilanu's part in the event became.

"Well then," she said eyeing Tangilanu from head to toe, "Big hero like him needs the special treatment."

"Don't you know it!" Mosese said as he opened an omni tool tab. "Give him a private show! Treat him nice! Maybe bring another woman into it!" Mosese was having some trouble tapping the keys, but he managed to set things up for payment. He then turned to an Asari waitress carrying alcohol glasses. "I'll meet you later, cuz. My buzz is wearing off," he said before stumbling away.

So Tangilanu was getting a private show. Great! He could smell the bodily fluids already. One dance. That is all he promised Mosese and that was all he would get. Then they would get the hell out of there!

"Come this way, big hero," the black woman said as she led him to a back room. He followed with his hands in his pockets as she motioned an Asari dancer to follow them. Once they reached the room, the women activated a holographic curtain to block onlookers wanting a peep show.

Tangilanu didn't need to be told what to do. He had been to strip clubs before for bachelor parties and 'special events.' He lay on the couch and placed his arms up to ensure the 'no touching' rule was kept.

"Good man," the black woman said. "Knows how to do things right! Now just sit back and enjoy." The two women then began their routine, moving their bodies and caressing each other like strippers would.

Tangilanu found his eyes wandering around the room. They were decent looking enough for their profession, but he suddenly registered how little fun he had been having today. Semi-nude ladies wouldn't improve that.

This did not escape the women's notice. "Something wrong, hero?" The black woman said still dancing with the Asari. "We not appealing you?"

"No. I mean, you're…appealing me just fine, I guess," he said still half paying attention.

"You can tell us what's on your mind," the Asari said as she moved her hands up and down the black woman's body. "We're good listeners."

This seemed like the least likely place he should have this discussion. He didn't have a lot of options though.

"Do you…?" He struggled thinking to say what he wanted. "Do either of you have siblings or cousins?"

"I have my brother and sister down in Lagos," the black woman said as she bent over with her rear facing him.

"I have some sisters on other planets," the Asari added. "I haven't seen them in a while."

"If only I was so lucky," he mumbled.

The two women moved closer as they did some more saucy dance moves. "Now why you say that?" The black woman said. "Family is real important."

He was finding it hard to focus with the Asari's bust in his field of vision, but he continued. "I know. Heck, I'm Tongan. Family's as important to us as breathing. Some people just…I don't know."

"Was that man you came with family?" The Asari said rubbing his leg.

"Yeah. My cousin. I haven't seen him in a while and he really made an effort to come see me," he said.

"Aw, that's sweet," the black woman said stroking his cheek.

"Yeah…but all we've been doing is-" His thought was cut off as he could feel the Asari stroke along his side. It tickled him the right way, but he forced himself to continue. "Just doing what he wants."

"Well, you've been going along with it," the black woman said. "It's not like you're suffering."

"True. And he's paid for everything…" he started. "I'm not ungrateful…"

"…but you feel like he hasn't been listening to you," the Asari continued his thought as she brought her leg on top of his for her move.

"…yeah," he said trying to not be aroused. "My family's more doers than listeners. Still, he's one of those guys. He steamrolls over people just by virtue of being him and people have to follow."

"Oh. We've all been there, hon," the black woman said as she stood up to continue her dance. "It's about give and take. He's happy to see you, but he should respect your wants too. And if you don't want to do something, tell him. You're a big boy, Mr. hero. Don't let him push you around because he's so tall."

She had to add that part. It wasn't necessary. Mosese kept calling him fototehina all day and being called 'little brother' when he was technically older than Mosese was tiring. He wished his other cousin hadn't made that joke all those years ago.

"He'll listen if you speak up," the Asari said as they slowed down their dance. "At least if he is truly family."

After a few seconds, the two women stopped. "Time's up, hero," the black woman said.

Tangilanu hopped to his feet and made his way out. Before he left though, the two women stopped him and gave him a peck on both cheeks.

"You've been the best one all night," the black woman said. "Come back any time, hero."

As not appealing as the thought was, he at least appreciated the gesture. "Uh…thanks."

He wandered out into the club's main floor as he spotted Mosese at the bar. Mosese was being particularly….animated. He spotted several empty glasses that most likely contributed to that.

"My cousin is the bestest of the shooting people!" Mosese slurred to some woman who was clearly not listening to him. "He will find the Master Chief and they'll fight anything. He could make a thresher maw…" Mosese lost his train of thought before giggling.

Then Mosese spotted Tangilanu. "Cousin!" He slurred as he tried to walk over. "Them pretty ladies treat you nice? Let's stay here ALL night!"

"I think we need to go, Mosese," Tangilanu said as he grabbed his arm.

"I think YOU need to go…not Mosese," Mosese attempted to joke with titters. He stumbled a few steps back and chuckled. "I got the women and lots of drinking to make me-"

And that was all Mosese was going to say as he tripped backwards and passed out on the floor with a loud thud. It spooked several people nearby.

"It's ok!" Tangilanu said loud enough for them to hear as he went to Mosese's side. "He just had too much partying tonight." The crowd watched for a few seconds more before losing interest and resuming their activities.

A human bouncer came over to talk to Tangilanu, who intercepted the man before he could say anything. "I know, I know. We should leave." Tangilanu tapped at his omni tool and showed the written text to the bouncer. "That's the address to his hotel. Call an aircab to take him back. I'll cover the charges."

The bouncer opened his omni tool to copy the address and nodded. As much as Tangilanu felt guilty for just ditching Mosese, he wasn't about to just waste the night dragging him around. He had a few places he wanted to visit and only an hour before they closed. He'd probably have to wait until tomorrow for the war history museum though.

He looked behind his shoulder to see a couple bouncers lift Mosese out as he walked out. On the way out, he bumped into someone coming in. He took a step back and realized that he recognized the person.

"Engelbrektsson? What are you doing here?"

She registered whom she had bumped into as well. "Tangilanu? What does it look like I'm doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows amused. "Didn't think this was your kind of place."

"I don't swing that way, stupid. It's just for the entertainment value. Not like I have much better to do."

He chuckled. "Don't waste your time. This place sucks. I got some better ideas in mind."

"Oh? Not one of your museum trips, are they?"

"No!" He mentally made a note to not take her there tomorrow. "Just some other stuff."

Two bouncers then walked between them dragging Mosese out as an aircab arrived.

"Is that Mosese?" Engelbrektsson said concerned.

"He'll be fine," Tangilanu said as he motioned her to walk. "Come on. We're burning moonlight."

* * *

Kyle sat on a bar stool alone. The place was just as fancy as everywhere else in the hotel, though the emptiness and late hour into the night certainly added a creep factor. But Kyle was not tired enough to leave. Aside from a few games they played upon arriving back at the hotel, the rest of the evening had been uneventful. He was too wired to just call it a lazy Sunday. Now everyone else was asleep, so he'd have to handle this insomnia alone.

"Need a refill?" A Salarian bartender asked pointing to Kyle's glass.

"Why not?" Kyle said. The bartender took it for a refill.

Kyle opened up his omni-tool and replayed Resolme's footage of opening the Chief's pod. He still didn't fully appreciate how strange that event truly was. As much as he didn't want the Chief bothering his thoughts, he had to wonder what that guy was doing now. Kyle and the other soldiers got to return to a planet they knew and loved. The Chief was visiting a planet that was as foreign to him as if it was Illium. Kyle didn't envy that.

"David always suspected you had a vid," a voice behind him said.

Kyle quickly shut off his omni-tool and spun around to see Kim. She had some heavy bags under her eyes and she was dressed in something between pajamas and clothes decent enough to be seen in public. Yet there she was up and awake.

"Why are you up so late?" Kyle asked.

"I could ask you the same," She said as she sat next to him. "I wasn't fully exaggerating when I said David talks in his sleep."

The bartender returned with a full glass of Kyle's drink of choice: water. He took a long sip.

"Nice," Kim said as she turned to the bartender. "I'll have the same."

"I don't like the taste of alcohol, if you're wondering," Kyle said to her.

"I didn't doubt that," she said back.

Silence hung over them as Kyle's fingers drummed along the counter and the bartender brought Kim's drink. She took a sip and cleared her throat.

"You know…I was thinking a lot about grandpa," she said.

"Because of the whole 'families can be together forever' talk today?" He said snarkily.

"No," she said. "Because of you." Kyle raised an eyebrow as he turned to her. "I thought about how proud he'd be of you. On top of everything else, you brought the Master Chief back from the dead. I'm sure grandpa would have begged to be resurrected early to see it himself."

The two of them chuckled at that.

She sighed. "On the other hand…." She took a sip of her drink. "He never served in the ODST as long as you. Heck, even as long as dad. Not by much mind you, but at least they had a quit date in mind."

Kyle didn't say anything as he took another sip.

"Do you?" She inquired.

"I…I 've got too many responsibilities to just quit," he defended. "The galaxy is a dangerous place and they need everyone's help."

"Kyle, even dad was married way before he was your age and he was still serving."

Great, he thought to himself. One of these talks again. "So what?" He said sternly. "Yeah, I'm in my forties and unmarried. I'm not the only guy."

"No, but I just don't understand it," Kim said back. "You know we all love having you around. The kids love hearing your stories and David has a heyday catching you up on everything. It's just…" She set her glass down. "The last thing we need the kids to see is you in-"

"That's not going to happen." Kyle interrupted.

"You don't know that," she said. "You knew when you joined that the ODST was suicidal."

"They've done a lot to ensure our safety since then."

"Who knows when that luck will run out? It's not like you're Spartans or Spectres. We don't need a dead war hero. I'd rather have my brother here so I can talk to him like old times."

Kyle set his drink down and sighed as he eyed his synthetic hand. "Those are old times for a reason."

Kim finished her drink glumly. "Where did those days go?"

"I really have no idea…" He said to himself more than to her.

"I've always wondered when we'll have another family reunion. Just all of us together under one roof again. That'd be nice."

"Hopefully the smoke alarm won't go off again like last time.'

She chuckled. "We may have been overzealous putting all those candles on dad's cake."

"Just a little."

She sat up and began to walk away before stopping. "I'm sorry," she said. "I worry about you. I just…I just want you to be happy." She walked out of the bar presumably to go back to bed.

Kyle wasn't exactly sure if he felt like an asshole or totally justified for anything they just talked about. Kim was always a good sister, but sometimes she could be a bit…he couldn't find the word for it. It did make him think though, which he was sure was her intention the entire time. Just another think to keep him awake.

Then he noticed that the bartender had been listening the whole time. "Do you want to talk about it?" The bartender asked.

"Does this look like the Cheers remake to you?" He said. "Just get me more water."

* * *

Beckett sat down at the desk in her hotel room. The night was winding down and she felt beat. To be honest, she really enjoyed shore leave. Some people could get restless having this much down time after so many months in space, but she saw it as a way to really unwind.

And this shore leave was longer than usual due to the Chief's return so she was making the most of it. She had shopped for the essentials. She found some good leisure items for downtime. She had seen the sights she needed to. She sorted some Earth business she needed to attend to. She phoned a few old friends she hadn't seen in ages. She had even found time for dinner by herself at a really nice restaurant. It was a good start for sure.

Yet the night was not done yet. There was still a call to make.

She opened up the desk's vid phone and typed in her desired number. It had been a while since she had a last called and she wouldn't be able to see them anytime soon. She had figured that the time difference from New Mombasa and London would mean they were still up so they would have time to talk.

After a few rings, an older woman answered. "Hello?"

"(Hello mother!)" Beckett said happily switching over to their native Sri Lankan tongue Tamil.

The woman's eyes widened with excitement and she smiled greatly. "(Oh! My little soldier!)" She adjusted her own chair as she continued the conversation. "(I was wondering when you would call.)"

"(Sorry about that,)" Beckett apologized. "(Busy day today.)"

"(I heard that you're in New Mombasa. That must be exciting.)"

Becket was going to ask how she knew, but remembered that her fleet would have been mentioned in the news broadcasts talking about the Chief. "(Yes!)" She replied. "(I'm enjoying the sights too. How has London been treating you?)"

"(Well it's not Kotte,)" her mother answered in reference to their hometown in Sri Lanka. "(But it suits us nicely.)"

"(That makes me happy,)" Beckett said cheerfully. "(How has dad been doing?)"

Her mother hesitated on that one. "(He's…he's been fine. Better.)"

Beckett paused. Things must still be pretty sensitive if her mom would respond like that. "(Good…)" She said to tip toe across the subject.

"(He's asleep right now, but I know he'd be happy to see you,)" her mother said.

"(No don't. If he's asleep, I'll call-)"

"(Nonsense! It's not often he gets to see his daughter. I'll be right back.)" Her mother tapped a button on the vid screen and a hold icon appeared.

Beckett anticipated the talk. She didn't know how bad his condition had gotten since they last talked. No one could really identify whatever the problem was either. He had worked with energy technologies for many years trying to create more efficient energy output. He had tinkered with all kinds of elements and forms, including Sanghelli plasma technology and more recently element zero. She knew element zero in high exposures could cause cancerous tumors and certain kinds of plasma exposure could lead to Boren's Syndrome. The problem was that her father seemed to have both types of tumors and even more complications from unknown sources. The doctors have tried best to help him, even relocating her parents to London for high quality treatment. All Beckett could do was hope it amounted to something.

Her father appearing on the vid screen neither confirmed nor denied that sentiment. He was in bed with IVs and tubes poking into his frail body as he stirred awake. He looked thinner than before and his hair was falling out more rapidly. The way he lifted himself up in the bed showed that he still tried to act like he had the strength of ten men, but his coughs were those of a dying man. It made Beckett smile sadly.

"Well well," her father spoke in his very posh British accent. "Now this is a sight for sore eyes." Beckett rarely told people that she was mixed race, since you could hardly see any hint of her English genes in her anyway. Her parents had met in Sri Lanka so many years ago and he fell in love with the country as much as he did with her mother. She knew that them being in England was not his first choice, but as long as her mother was there he could endure it.

"Hi dad," she said weakly.

"Oh don't talk like I'm dead yet," her father said bluntly but playfully. "You know that doctor's estimates are always off."

Beckett's heart felt heavy as she pondered that. She didn't know he had gotten his life expectancy estimation.

"Aw, don't look so sad hon," her father said noticing her concern. "I'm not going any sooner than I need to."

"I know…" She said. She eyed the wrinkles in his hands and face. They looked deeper than usual. He wasn't even THAT old.

"So I heard the big news," her father said. "You found the Master Chief!" He coughed harshly before continuing. "How did that happen?"

"A bunch of Turians found his ship and we found him," she said to put it briefly.

He chuckled softly. "So I lived long enough to see a real miracle. Now that's something."

Beckett leaned forward on the desk to the screen. "Dad…" She said with a crack of emotion. "I wish I could be with you right now."

"I do too, but you're doing a great service."

"Dad…"

"Sweetie…I don't want to hold you back. If you do get to see me, that will be good. You're never too far away regardless." He moved his frail, shaking hand to his heart.

Beckett could feel a tear roll down her cheek.

"Let's not talk about depressing things the whole time," he said. "I want to laugh and I want to see you laugh. These calls should be about being happy and sharing stories. I will listen to every single one."

Beckett smiled. This was very un-soldier like of her, but sometimes she needed these moments to still feel human. "Naan unnai kathalikiren," she found herself saying in Tamil.

"And I love you too," he replied.

They were silent for a while, just treasuring the moment. This is what made these calls worthwhile.

"So you met any handsome men on your ship?" Her father teased as he broke the silence. "You're not getting any younger."

Beckett laughed. That was just like him to say that…

* * *

The afternoon sun beat on Kyle's brow as he hugged the kids one last time. It had been a short visit, but he understood why they had to leave. David's work needed him back, especially with all the stuff that had arisen with the Chief's arrival. Kyle would just as likely get a call from Ralston or the brass for some kind of work too. One day was far too long to let an experienced officer like him get lazy.

"Come back soon," Sandra said as the kids released the embrace.

"I'll do my best," he said. It wasn't in his control, but he wouldn't dash their hopes with reality.

From behind the kids, David approached Kyle and gave him a quick but strong embrace. "Don't be a stranger, bud. Oh, and you promise right?"

"Yeah yeah! I'll have to talk to some people, but I'm sure you can get the rights to interview us for your documentary. Maybe the vid too."

"Yes!" He said pumping his arm. "You are the man. And hey, there's always that role in my new extranet miniseries if you change your mind."

"I doubt I'm that good an actor," Kyle said humbly. "Besides, who'd want to watch a western these days?"

"I'm telling you, they're coming back. The galaxy has opened up and it is a terrific parallel for an age of exploration. Plus, it has cross species appeal."

"You said that about found footage films."

David scoffed. "I can be wrong sometimes."

Kyle chuckled. "I'll think about it."

David and the kids went to the vehicle as Kim came up and embraced Kyle. "Be safe."

He knew she was worrying about nothing, but after their little chat last night he decided not to make a fuss about it. "Always am," he replied. Quick and to the point. That's all they needed to say.

And with that, Kim and her family went home. Kyle took a moment to reflect on yesterday. Whatever qualms he may have had or hiccups that happened on the way, it didn't end up being a bad experience. It reminded him of that moment he looked out the Mt. Everest's window at Earth. He needed that day.

Still, Kim's words from last night bothered him. She thought he wasn't happy? Why wouldn't he be? Sure he wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine at church, but at least he wasn't snoring like other people were. Was she seeing something in him that he didn't?

He pushed that thought aside. She didn't know what she was talking about. It was probably just something from not seeing him for so long. Nothing more.

Though now he had a different problem on his hand: what the hell else was he supposed to do with his time?

…which was answered immediately with a call on his omni tool.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Enjoying your time away from us?" A familiar female voice inquired.

He smiled. "Oh, just the time of my life, Beckett."

"I know a lie when I hear it."

"No lies! Still, if you miss me so much, I can squeeze some time for all of you.."

"I'd hate to take you away from your busy schedule," she teased. "But whenever you are open, we're having lunch at a place nearby."

Kyle thought it over for exactly a second. "Sure. Just tell me where and when." He made his way towards the sidewalk.

"You can honestly tell me if you're busy or not."

"I'm fine," he said. "I doubt I'll be hearing from CAPTAIN Ralston too soon anyway."

He smiled as he continued walking. Even if Ralston did call during their lunch, at least he will have been able to spend some good leisure time with the group. Sometimes being apart from each other for a while was a good thing. He just hoped they had something more than Korean in mind for lunch…

** So there you have it. I do plan to have more action in my upcoming chapters as Kyle and the squad actually do missions, but hopefully this has been a decent enough set-up to build off of. Disagree or have some suggestions? PM me or write a review on the chapter. I am always open.  
**

** And remember to check out the source story, The Last Spartan by DinoJake, to enjoy more goodness from this crossover universe.**

** Hope to get my next update up much sooner than three months!**


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